A Hollister resident was arrested for driving under the
influence and evading police after a short chase ended with the
suspect crashing into a patrol car Friday morning.
A Hollister resident was arrested for driving under the influence and evading police after a short chase ended with the suspect crashing into a patrol car Friday morning.
Valentino Cruz, 20, was arrested for driving under the influence, evading police and driving without a license, misdemeanors, after a Hollister police officer saw his 1986 Jeep swerving down Santa Ana Road with a blown tire around midnight, according to police spokesman George Ramirez.
The officer activated his lights and sirens, but Cruz failed to stop and continued swerving, Ramirez said.
Cruz ran a red light at the intersection of Santa Ana Road and Rustic Street, but was thwarted in his attempted get-away when he turned into what he thought was an alley and ran into a utility pole in a driveway in the 100 block of Santa Ana Road, Ramirez said.
After the crash, the officer pulled up right behind Cruz’s car and got out of his patrol car, Ramirez said.
“The officer approached the car to see if he was injured, and he backed up directly into the officer’s car,” Ramirez said.
When the officer opened Cruz’s door to take him out of the car, he tried to escape but was taken into custody after a brief struggle, he said.
Cruz had a passenger in the car, but he was released with no charges, Ramirez said.
There was minor damage to the rear corner of Cruz’s car, and minor damage to the left front of the patrol car, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Terry Mayes.
The CHP takes all reports of accidents involving Hollister police cars so it doesn’t appear that Hollister police officers were biased if they find themselves not at fault, Mayes said.
“It wasn’t perceived that (Cruz) hit the car intentionally,” Mayes said. “His statement was that he backed up because he was trying to get away and that’s when the ‘oops’ occurred.”
