NORTH FORSYTH – A North Forsyth High School senior set to graduate next week was arrested for driving under the influence in connection with a fiery crash that seriously injured another driver late Saturday afternoon.

Trevor Johnson, 18, who finished coursework on May 2 at Forsyth Academy to graduate from North as his base school, was also charged with underage consumption of alcohol, failure to maintain lane and too fast for conditions, all misdemeanors, and serious injury by vehicle, a felony, according to Deputy Doug Rainwater, a spokesman for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

“Around 5:32 p.m., Mr. Johnson was traveling east on Heard Road near Heard Lane in a 2008 Dodge Ram pickup truck when he left the roadway on the passenger side and sideswiped a tree,” Rainwater said. “He overcorrected to go back onto road, [which] sent him into the westbound lane, where he struck a 2011 Acura MDX driven by a 49-year-old male from Cumming.

“The Acura was driving normally and minding his own business when the Dodge hit it head-on. The truck rolled over on its passenger side against the Acura and both became fully engulfed in flames. A few heroic citizens stopped to help and pulled both drivers from their cars to safety.”

The fire, fed by fuel leaking from the pickup truck, destroyed both vehicles. 

Both men were transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, where Johnson was later released to police, Rainwater said.

“Johnson was determined to be under the influence of alcohol and taken to jail,” he said.

The other driver suffered what were described as serious but non-life threatening injuries.

“He has survived [as of Monday] but will be tending to his injuries for a long time,” Rainwater said.

As of mid-afternoon Monday, Johnson remained in the Forsyth County Jail. He has not yet posted bond, which was set at $11,295.