Updated: Man charged in Friday morning traffic collision

Update: Nov. 16, 2012 afternoon: El Paso Police said the investigation revealed that Rogelio Sepulveda was operating a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle north in the center lane of the 3500 block of Lee Trevino when he was struck from behind by a 2012 Ford Focus driven by Albert Romero. The impact threw Sepulveda forward and then the Focus came to a stop on top of him. Sepulveda was pulled out from beneath the vehicle by several witnesses. He was transported to Del Sol Medical Center for treatment of life threatening injuries. Romero was placed under arrest for Intoxicated Assault and was booked into the El Paso County Jail. His bond was set at $80,000. El Paso Police’s STI has determined that speed and alcohol were allegedly factors in this collision. Sepulveda was wearing a helmet.

Nov. 16, 2012 morning story: El Paso police officers arrest a man on drunken driving charges after a serious wreck involving a motorcyclist.

Officers with the Special Traffic Investigations Unit arrived on the scene at 6:35 a.m. Friday, more than four hours after police closed down two blocks of Lee Trevino Drive from Pelhem to Delafield Drives because of the crash.

Police have only told ABC-7 the driver of a car collided with a motorcycle in the northbound lanes of Lee Trevino.

The motorcyclist was taken to an area hospital with critical, possibly life-threatening injuries.

Officers arrested the driver of the car and charged him with DWI after police said the man failed a field sobriety test.

At 5 a.m., police had begun to reopen Lee Trevino, even bringing in a tow truck to move the vehicles. However, because of the motorcyclist’s critical condition, officers decided to keep the area closed, unhitching the car and motorcycle from the tow truck and calling in special investigators.

Traffic headed to REL Washington Elementary School, which is across the street from the crash site, was affected as the investigation kept Lee Trevino closed until at least 8 a.m.