Pursuit from Reno to Lyon County ends with arrest, driver goes wrong way, nearly hits road crew
A 35-year-old man was arrested Tuesday morning following a vehicle pursuit that began in Reno and ended in Fernley, in which the suspect went the wrong way along multiple roadways and nearly struck a Nevada Department of Transportation road crew.
Jose Delacruz, a Nevada resident, was booked for suspicion of felony reckless driving, possession of a stolen vehicle, eluding, three charges for assault with a deadly weapon, parole violation out of California, possession of stolen property, gross misdemeanor reckless endangerment, misdemeanor driving under the influence and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Delacruz was booked into the Lyon County jail. Two other occupants in the vehicle with him were released from the scene, according to Nevada Highway Patrol spokesman Trooper Charles Caster. There were no law enforcement officers injured. The suspect and two others in the vehicle were also not injured.
The following account is from an NHP news release:
NHP says that at around 7:06 a.m., Troopers assisted the Reno Police Department in pursuit of a suspect driving a green 2005 Honda sedan. The suspect was reported to have been involved in an assault with a deadly weapon. Troopers joined the pursuit in the area of IR-80 eastbound near E. McCarran Boulevard.
The driver was reported to be driving at speeds up to 110 miles per hour. Near Washoe County Mile Marker 44 (just east of Wadsworth Exit 43), Lyon County Deputies had stop sticks in place in an attempt to stop the vehicle. The vehicle avoided the stop sticks, crossing the unpaved center median and went wrong way (eastbound in the westbound lanes) toward Fernley.
The vehicle then exited at the westbound onramp (Exit 46) still wrong way and stopped. The driver exited the vehicle, approached another vehicle in an apparent attempt to carjack the vehicle. An NHP Trooper crossed the unpaved median towards the driver of the Honda at which time he returned the Honda and headed south on SR-427 in Fernley at a high rate of speed.
The driver avoided an attempt by an NHP Trooper to perform a precision immobilization technique (PIT). The vehicle went wrong way on SR-427 (southbound in the northbound lane) and steered to strike three NDOT workers on the shoulder.
The NDOT workers ran for cover of their dump truck and avoided being hit. The vehicle then travelled east on SR-828 at a high rate of speed and passed other vehicles unsafely. The vehicle then approached US-50A and travelled west. The vehicle crossed the raised concrete median and went wrong way again (westbound in the eastbound lanes). In the interest of public safety, an NHP Trooper conducted a successful PIT maneuver on the driver side rear of the vehicle.
A second NHP Trooper blocked in the vehicle from the front. A Lyon County Sheriff's Deputy blocked in the vehicle from the rear. There were three occupants in the vehicle. The occupants were removed from the vehicle and detained without injury.
The occupants were checked out by medical personnel and medically cleared. No members of law enforcement were injured in the incident. Upon further investigation, the vehicle was determined to be stolen.