Joseph Granados, 29, of Watsonville, was arrested Friday afternoon on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs after his car struck an 88-year-old man walking to his mailbox crossing Freedom Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The crash took place at about 2:51 p.m. near Mariner Drive, the entryway to Aptos High School, on an afternoon that was sunny and clear.
Officer J. Eshragi reported Granados was headed east on Freedom Boulevard in his 1997 Honda when his car hit the man and then the mailboxes on the south shoulder of Freedom Boulevard.
The pedestrian, who was taken to Dominican Hospital by ambulance and then flown to Valley Medical Center, sustained major injuries.
Granados did not receive any injuries, according to the officer.
The collision is still under investigation.