CHP: DUI suspect drove on wrong side of the road before Hwy. 116 crash

An East Bay man was arrested on suspicion of intoxicated driving Monday after a two-car wreck near Sonoma that snarled evening commuter traffic and resulted in severe injuries for both drivers.

The crash was reported around 4:15 p.m. on Highway 116 east of Arnold Drive.

Michael Tacchella, 27, of Fremont, was driving his Honda Accord on the wrong side of the road when he collided with a Chevy Silverado, the California Highway Patrol said.

The driver of the Silverado, a 36-year-old Rohnert Park man, was severely injured and taken in an ambulance to Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, according to the CHP.

Tacchella, who also suffered major injuries, was flown in a CHP helicopter to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. He was arrested at the hospital on suspicion of felony driving under the influence and booked into the Sonoma County Jail, the CHP said.

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Pera at matthew.pera@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Matt__Pera.