By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper.
A 20-year-old man faces five criminal charges — including a felony — after a Sandoval County Sheriff’s deputy clocked his vehicle at 112 mph on northbound US 550 Monday morning and pursued him through a crash that ended on a dirt road near the Bernalillo border.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Bernalillo Magistrate Court on June 9, the deputy was running radar on southbound US 550 near milepost 12 around 7:12 a.m. when he observed a black Dodge Charger traveling northbound at 112 mph, passing other vehicles using the median. The deputy made a U-turn, activated emergency equipment and attempted a traffic stop. The driver accelerated instead, picking up additional speed from a rolling start. The deputy eventually discontinued the pursuit when the vehicle turned onto a dirt road and called a BOLO to Rio Rancho Police.
Rio Rancho Police contacted Sandoval County Dispatch at 7:33 a.m. to report that a bystander had called in a crash at Chayote Road NE and Dune Road NE, with a person fleeing on foot. A Rio Rancho officer located the suspect nearby based on shoe tracks, and the deputy identified him at the scene. The defendant told emergency medical personnel at the scene that he had consumed alcohol and THC before driving. At Sandoval County Medical Center, he acknowledged to staff that he had been pulled over and chose to flee, according to the complaint.
The complaint lists five charges:
- Aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer (no injury or great bodily harm) — fourth degree felony
- Speeding (36+ mph over posted limit) — penalty assessment misdemeanor
- Driving while license suspended — misdemeanor
- Leaving the scene of an accident (no great bodily harm or death) — misdemeanor
- Reckless driving — misdemeanor
The defendant’s driver’s license was suspended at the time of the incident, according to the complaint. Field sobriety tests were not administered due to the defendant’s injuries and condition.