A male suspect is facing felony DUI and hit-and-run charges after his vehicle allegedly collided with another car on New Year’s Day on Melrose Avenue, injuring five people.

A vehicle involved in a two-car collision near Vista Street and Melrose Avenue on Jan. 1 also struck and damaged a building at the intersection. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The collision occurred shortly before 5 a.m. in the 7400 block of Melrose Ave. The suspect, Michael Forno, 37, was driving south on Vista Street in a 2010 Mercedes Benz GL450 when he collided with a 2007 Toyota Prius traveling west on Melrose Avenue.

“This guy probably ran a stop sign and plowed into the vehicle,” said Det. Olin Osborne, with the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Traffic Division. “He T-boned the victim’s vehicle, which caused substantial damage, so speed was probably a factor.”

Osborne said the unidentified Prius driver was working for Uber and was transporting four passengers. All five were taken to hospitals for treatment. A female passenger sustained critical injuries. The other four victims, including the driver, sustained serious injuries.

Forno’s vehicle rolled over during the collision on Melrose Avenue and damaged the façade of a store at the intersection. Osborne said Forno attempted to flee the scene on foot but was held by civilians and turned over to police. He was treated at a hospital and later remanded into police custody and booked for driving under the influence and hit and run causing injury.

On Jan. 3, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Forno with one count each of driving under the influence of alcohol; causing bodily injury to another person while having a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or more; hit and run resulting in death or serious injury to another person; and hit and run resulting in property damage. The charges include special allegations of causing great bodily injury to more than one victim while driving under the influence. Forno pleaded not guilty and was ordered to return to court on Jan. 17 for a preliminary hearing.

Osborne said Forno is also believed to have been involved in another collision minutes earlier near Franklin Avenue and Orange Drive. In that collision, an occupied vehicle was struck from behind by a driver who sped away. No injuries were reported.

Osborne said the incident illustrates the danger of driving while intoxicated.

“It’s a classic case where we have an intoxicated driver who ends up colliding with a victim’s vehicle and causes severe injuries,” Osborne said. “It’s sad to see, [especially] with social media, public education campaigns and access to Uber and Lyft, and buses and trains running all night on New Year’s Eve. There is no excuse for anybody to get behind the wheel while intoxicated.”

Forno faces a maximum sentence of 14 years, two months in state prison. Bail was set at $330,000.

Anyone with information about the collision is urged to call detectives with the LAPD’s West Traffic Division at (213)473-0220.