Man thrown from vehicle in crash; alcohol suspected as cause of collision.

The California Highway Patrol was busy over the Memorial Day enforcement period, with one fatal collision and solo rollover sending three people to the hospital. From Friday night through Monday at midnight, officers made 24 arrests for driving under the influence, a 25 percent increase from the number of incidents in 2007.

A Bakersfield man died Saturday morning when he was thrown from a vehicle in a possible alcohol-related collision.

Rafael Aguilar was a passenger in a Nissan Quest driven by Javier Ordaz traveling northbound on the I-5 south of GavinCanyon when their car was hit by a VW driven by Sahand Sedghi of Woodland Hills.

Ordaz’s vehicle spun out or control, ejecting the unbelted Aguilar, who suffered fatal injuries.

Sedghi was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He is being held at the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff’s station in lieu of $180,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

A Valencia woman and two young children suffered major injuries Sunday when their car rolled over and went down an embankment on the eastbound 126.

Laura Mesel was driving a 2006 Honda Odyssey near Castaic Creek when she swerved to the right and collided with the guard rail, causing the car to become airborne and go down the rocky embankment before stopping in the creekbed.

Mesel and two young children were airlifted to UCLA Medical Center for treatment.