A Pelham man has been arrested for impaired driving after his 2006 white Ford Focus with two passengers drove into a ditch and crashed into a tree near Sulphur Springs Drive in Pelham.

The crash occurred around 10:54 p.m., after which a fire broke out and was extinguished by Pelham firefighters.

The two 19-year-old female passengers were rescued by a passing motorist and a local resident. Both women sustained serious injuries.

Benjamin Wayda, a 19-year-old Pelhman man, was arrested and charged with the alleged offence of impaired driving causing bodily harm.

He was release on a promise to appear in court Dec. 12 2018 at the Robert S. K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines.