California Highway Patrol says officers were called to the area of Route 165, north of Williams Avenue, just before 2 a.m. for a head-on collision.
When officials arrived on scene, they found an unresponsive 9-year-old boy and began performing CPR.
Officers say that 31-year-old Jose Ramirez, driving a 2002 Honda Civic, was traveling southbound on Route 165 at an unknown speed when he crossed into the northbound lane.
At the same time, a 66-year-old woman, driving a 2025 Chrysler SUV in the northbound lane, collided head-on with the Civic.
The driver of the SUV was taken to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto for her injuries.
According to CHP, the 9-year-old boy was a passenger in the Civic, as well as his father, 30-year-old Oscar Lopez Campos, who was the front-right passenger.
After the child was given CPR, he regained consciousness and was airlifted to Valley Children's Hospital in Madera.
Campos only had minor injuries from the collision.
Officers discovered that before the collision, both Campos and Ramirez had been drinking alcohol.
Campos was arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment.
Both Campos and Rameriez were booked into the Merced County Jail.
The collision remains under investigation.