– by F. Scott Faulkner
SANTA MARIA, CA — September 14th 2025 — A Santa Maria man, now hospitalized with serious injuries resulting from a “violent” wreck is now under
arrest and charged with felony DUI.
Shortly after 1 p.m. on September 12, 45-year-old Michael Sean Rea was speeding northbound
on the freeway just outside Santa Maria when he “tried to skirt traffic by driving in the center
median.”
The maneuver backfired, as Rea lost control of his 2015 Nissan, slammed into the center divider,
then careened back into the fast lane where he struck a 2024 GMC driven by a 30-year-old man
from Yuba City.
The collision didn’t stop there. Rea’s vehicle spun out, veered to the right shoulder and plowed
into a eucalyptus tree before bursting into flames. Emergency crews rushed to the scene and
pulled him from the burning car.
He was transported by AMR ambulance to Marian Regional Medical Center, where he was
treated for “major injuries.”
Rea was arrested at the hospital, where he remains in custody, now charged with felony DUI.
