A man who led Highway Patrol officers on a high-speed chase Wednesday morning violently crashed his car east of Tucson and had to be pulled from the burning wreckage, officials said. Posted on 05/12/2005 6:33:44 AM PDT by Kokojmudd
Suspect freed, OK despite speeds of up to 120 mph By Becky Pallack ARIZONA DAILY STAR
A man who led Highway Patrol officers on a high-speed chase Wednesday morning violently crashed his car east of Tucson and had to be pulled from the burning wreckage, officials said.
Neither the man nor his rescuers were seriously injured in the crash, near the Vail interchange on Interstate 10.
The 10-mile chase began when Officer Ted Edwards of the Arizona Department of Public Safety tried to stop a white 2004 Chevy Impala near the eastbound Kolb Road exit on I-10 around 9:45 a.m. because the driver was weaving in his lane.
But the driver, Juan Martinez Vasquez, a Mexican national in his 20s, speeded up and started swerving in and out of traffic, using the emergency lane and the median, at speeds of up to 120 miles per hour, said DPS Officer Phil Cianciolo, who also was involved in the pursuit.
"He was taking extraordinary measures to get away, and we were taking reasonable measures to make sure no one got hurt," Cianciolo said.
About three miles down the road, Edwards called for a helicopter to follow the car so he could back off.
"If an innocent person's going to get hurt, we're going to terminate the pursuit," said Officer Jim Oien, a DPS spokesman. Runaway drivers usually slow down when a helicopter gets involved, he said.
But after another six miles, Martinez Vasquez turned onto the Vail interchange at 100 mph, officials said.
However, he didn't make the turn at the top of the ramp and flew off the road into a ravine, rupturing the fuel line, Cianciolo said. The car vaulted halfway across Wentworth Road, caught fire, scraped across the northbound lane and overturned on the other side of the road.
Edwards was still following the car and ran to pull the driver from the upside-down, burning vehicle.
Firefighters arrived and saw hot magnesium dripping from the car's engine and used dirt and a special foam to put out the fire and keep it from spreading to thick brush in the area, said Todd Cupell, a spokesman for the Corona de Tucson Fire Department.
The fire "had a lot of potential for being very dangerous" because of explosions, he said.
The magnesium was burning so brightly that workers at the scene had to turn away, Cianciolo said.
Martinez Vasquez refused to give his name to officers, but he was identified through a Border Patrol fingerprint database. He suffered bumps and scrapes, and was treated at University Medical Center before he was booked into the Pima County jail on a charge of felony flight from a law enforcement vehicle. The investigation will continue, Oien said.
Everyone was surprised that the driver walked away, and "we're very fortunate no one else got hurt in this," Oien said.
"The sad part of it is he endangered himself and everybody on the road, when he probably would have been issued a citation and maybe released to Border Patrol if he would have pulled over and stopped," he said.
It was unclear Wednesday why Martinez Vasquez was fleeing from officers, Oien said, but the suspect had been arrested by the Border Patrol four times previously.
High-speed pursuits are fairly common for Highway Patrol officers, Oien said. Statewide, a chase occurs almost daily. Most happen at night and end quickly, either when the driver pulls over or the officer calls off the chase, he said.
There are more chases in Southern Arizona than in the central or northern regions of the state, possibly because people- and drug-smuggling operations work close to the border, Oien said. He noted the number of chases involving illegal immigrants has increased in the past few years.
● Contact reporter Becky Pallack at 629-9412 or at bpallack@azstarnet.com.
And if he keeps it under 80 from now on, he'll get free college tuition.
And if he keeps it under 80 from now on, he'll get free college tuition.
Bears repeating...
That lucky *(*%$ was released? What, after 4 arrests you no longer qualify for deportation?
Damn, that really is a fiery crash!!!
In Mexico, if you can out run the cops - YOU WIN! Its almost a sport. This is nothing out of the ordinary.
Another psychotic "migrant" flipping cars Americans-don't- want-to-flip Ping.
Heck, I wouldn't want to flip a 2004 Chevy Impala!
It'd crush like a can!
Not at all as solid as the old designs!
Why, back when I was young...
/ end crotchety old time muscle car enthusiast voice.
It sure is unclear. He must have known they wouldn't do anything but release him again!
"I hope the govt. pays to fix his car, send him to college, free hospital expenses and then gives the family whatever it needs. We have to take care of those poor Mexicons who want to game the system."
As I understand it the congress passed legislation authorizing federal tax dollars to pay state hospitals for treatment of illegals. So I guess that means they think the problem is "fixed." Happy Drinko-De-Mayo everybody!
ROTFL!
I can't believe he walked away. And, I'm surprised it wasn't an F150 or one of their usual stolen truck/van favorites. We have to quadruple secure our trucks at the mall or wherever we are in Tucson - even in our carports.
Is it just us on fr or is the rest of the country as pissed off as we are?
They should have just let him burn. I have no sympathy for people who do high speed chases.
Sheesh.
Here the usual stolen cars are the Celicas, Civics, and Acuras.
All the 'sporty' looking cars.
I'm surprised he isn't dead.
120MPH, flipped AND sploded into flames.
He'd BETTER thank whoever was watching over him.
Because he's in "a bad ways" now.
And then some.
That is a good question! I keep wondering. It seems like the polls show most/many people are upset, but a poll is easier to take than other actions.
Grrrr. . .
It would have been best for all had the officer not made a mistake and pulled this piece of crap out of the vehicle.
That explains everything - this guy is just giving the Highway Patrol high-speed pursuit experience that Americans don't to...
Shucks, that's too bad. Not about the rescuers.
Oh yeah, the kiddie punks my way would have at least been trying to get the door open and loudly yelling at each other "careful man! Get the door! Get the Door! They're looking! *giggle snort* Hurry!"
But in my area of NY, it's a mish mash of kids from all groups being stupid.
Top 10 stolen vehicles in Arizona
Chevrolet full-size king cab pickup
Ford full-size pickup
Nissan Sentra
Honda Accord.
Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth Colt
Nissan pickup.
Honda Civic
Dodge Ram pickup
Saturn SL
Toyota Camry
Top 10 stolen vehicles in the U.S
Toyota Camry
Honda Accord
Honda Civic
Chevrolet full-size king cab pickup
Ford full-size pickup
Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
Oldsmobile Cutlass/Supreme
Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan
Ford Taurus
Toyota Corolla.
Source: Arizona Auto Theft Authority, based on figures from 2002, the latest available
http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special03/articles/0415stolencars.html#
"The illegals crossing the border today are not the same caliber of illegals of my father's day."
Excellent statement, not to mention the terrorist aspect of open borders.
Saw video of a car that had been, er, modified.
The body panels had been walled off and turned into storage space, the seats hollowed out, the trunk had false bottom, walls, front, back etc and the dash was even modded for storage.
Like nobody will notice a car so heavily loaded that the struts are compressed.
They even packed the tires.
(Driving THAT car must have been fun. Can you say "out of balanced tires" and "Uneven handling"? *snerk*)
Weird.
Cutlass Supreme?!
That thing is butt ugleee.
Tripoli was lucky. The smugglers who stole her Durango left the seats intact.
Her Durango was recovered Feb. 9, within 24 hours of its theft, when smugglers fleeing from Border Patrol agents ditched the vehicle near Nogales and ran into the desert. The load of undocumented immigrants inside piled out and ran, too.
But before agents would release her vehicle, Tripoli had to drive a rental car to the Border Patrol's headquarters in Tucson with a copy of her vehicle registration and a copy of the police report.
She missed a day of work.
"I had to prove the car was stolen from me and that I hadn't lent it to anyone," Tripoli said.
Because her registration was in her stolen vehicle, Tripoli also had to go to an Arizona Motor Vehicle Division office to obtain a copy
She then waited six weeks until the Border Patrol released her Durango to a tow company, which transported the vehicle back to Phoenix, and then another two weeks until the driver's-side door lock, the steering column and ignition, which were all damaged by the thieves, could be repaired at a Valley dealership
"It was the biggest nightmare," she said.
(from previous link)
But did he have a drivers license????
*grrr*
That would be quite aggravating.
(Understatement of the year!)
Would make me want to hunt and do bodily harm.
Usually not!
Can't tell you how many times the police scanner had this to say:
"License plate comes back as having been surrendered to the DMV. Last registered to a vehicle [vehicle make an dmodel differing from vehicle it is currently on] license revoked/ no Driver's license."
Heard someone take a ride for having fraudulent driver's license.
Vehicle was stolen, license plates ahd been surrendered from a pickup truck and showed up on a Civic..
Big question, if the plates were surrendered to the DMV, how the heck are they geting back out on the roads on vehicles?
Who paid for the repairs?
Come on. Whats the big deal? He is just wrecking cars, endangering innocent people and leading police on high speed chases that Americans won't.
#12
I think the general pop is becoming very concerned and I expect it to grow. On Fox news this morning, the newslady said "we get emails, by the hundreds! People saying it isn't just the jobs no one else wants but taking jobs away from the American people". Of course that's not verbatim but it was probably pretty close to verbatim.
And of course Lou Dobbs is pretty big an anti-illegals and last night I watched a piece on O'Reilly about the Iraq vet who arrested illegals and although the US isn't going to try him, the Mexican government thinks they are going to. Hah! Anyway, you could tell OReilly was not too happy about that!
Ummmm "a Mexican national".....is that the PC terminology for ILLEGAL ALIEN!?
His Chevy burst into flames?I can smell a LAWSUIT against GM for making faulty RACE CARS!!!!
I think that water is beginning to boil!!
BTTT
I used to own a 1972 Impala. It was ivory in color. We used to call it The White Whale.
Its rear chrome bumper weighed more than a Yugo.
Yeah, the Impalas now are quite easy to twist, deform, and worse.
When they first stuck the Impala moniker on it, my reaction was to say, "THAT is NOT an Impala.."
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Minutemen Patriots ~ Bump!
Makes you think he KNOWS he is guilty of something much worse than speeding and being an illegal alien. The cops just don't know it yet.
and.....let go to prey on the law abiding, I swear that this generation of the law enforcement community worships criminals. That way they get to extort more money from the taxpayers.
The problem started when they mandated court appointed defense counsel. Too many lawyers in the system.
Let's hope. these days it seems to take on act of congress for the critters to get off their butts and do something.
Yep. Those were the days. Remember the 1967 Impala Super Sport with the 427 V-8? A rare bird. Zoom zoom.
My mom would likely be more familiar with that year and model.
I was 5 in 1980, and there were a few old Impalas still going strong then.
Don't recall if I've ever run across the 67 Super Sport model.
Ran across a few Chevelle's here and there, and the odd Pontiac LeMans convertible with some 'modifications' to it.
(Mom was the car enthusiast. Dad was the leadfoot...)
You'd have remembered it if you had.
It's my second favorite coupe...right behind the 1964 Thunderbird.
"Fiery crash ends chase on I-10"
Fiery crashes will do it every time.
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