Police say Fresno State football player Jason Shirley crashed into this Northeast Fresno apartment complex before fleeing the scene. His BAC levels were 0.11 and 0.12 upon arrest.
Story Published:
Oct 9, 2007 at 9:56 PM EST
Story Updated:
Oct 9, 2007 at 10:02 PM EST
Fresno police say Fresno State football star Jason Shirley drove a car into the Sunridge Townhome complex on the 4,800-block of Bonadelle Avenue in Northeast Fresno Monday night.
"I was in the restroom late at night. I was sitting down and I heard a loud noise!" said a shaken Jason Sanchez.
"You can see here, he ran through the bushes and backed in. You can see the toilet in there where I was sitting." Sanchez was in his apartment when Shirley allegedly crashed into the building.
Shirley is facing two misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and hit-and-run. Police say his BAC levels were 0.11 and 0.12; officers performed two separate tests for accuracy.
"It busted through the back of the restroom and it pushed me off the toilet and it came off. I saw the backlights of the car and I could hear the engine. He ran through the wall," Sanchez described, pointing to the mangled walls and pipes at the scene.
"By the time we went outside he was pulling away slowly and we got his license plate before he took off," said Joel Sanchez, who also lives in the building.
It took less than an hour for Fresno police to find and arrest Shirley.
Fresno State University released a statement following the arrest:
"Senior football player Jason Shirley has been suspended indefinitely by the Fresno State Athletics Department for a violation of department policy.
“Shirley's suspension, announced [Tuesday] by Fresno State head coach Pat Hill, will last until a review by the Athletics Code of Conduct Committee can be conducted.
Hill will not have any further comment until the Athletics Code of Conduct Committee completes its review.”
KSEE 24 News was able to contact Shirley's father, Woodrow, who lives in Southern California. He told us he was on his way to Fresno, to be with his son.
As for Jason Sanchez, he's a little shaken but at least he can see the humor in it.
"I didn't expect that. Usually it doesn't happen when I use the restroom but I'm just glad I'm okay," he shrugged. “Words of wisdom: always be prepared when you do the duty. You never know what to expect."
Click on the video link to watch Catherine Mylinh and Alexan Balekian's team coverage of this story, along with exclusive KSEE 24 News video of Shirley's arrest.
