Share
DOS PALOS — A man who may have been high on methamphetamine smashed into eight cars on two Northern California freeway on New Year’s Day, repeatedly ramming some with his pickup truck and injuring three people before plunging his pickup truck into an irrigation ditch and breaking into a home, the California Highway Patrol said.
Three people were treated but none had major injuries, authorities said.
CHP: ‘Driving Like Grand Theft Auto’
Weston owns a marble and granite installation business. A representative for the business and Weston’s spouse declined to comment, the Sacramento Bee reported.
CHP officers said it appeared Weston was under the influence of meth and told investigators that he was driving like the video game “Grand Theft Auto,” Fresno television station ABC30 reported.
According to the CHP, Weston abruptly stopped his Toyota Tundra on I-5 at around 3:30 a.m., blocking both southbound lanes. When a driver behind him stopped to avoid a crash, Weston jumped on her car hood but leaped off as she drove away, authorities said.
Struck Ambulance in the Fog
About two hours later, Weston began striking vehicles in the fog on State Route 152. He drove the wrong way in eastbound lanes and even made U-turns to approach vehicles that tried to get out of his way. In some cases after rear-ending or sideswiping them, he backed up to strike them again, according to the CHP.
An ambulance was rammed several times and flipped on its side. No patients were inside.
Ray Fernandez had pulled his Honda Civic off the road to sleep after celebrating New Year’s Eve at a casino.
“I get woken up by my wife,” Fernandez told ABC30. “She’s telling me some guy is erratically driving so I started the car, and he just T-boned us and he backed up and he was screaming something and she started screaming, and he backed up and T-boned us again.”
Fernandez and his wife jumped out of the car.
“The guy chased us with his car and then made some racial … like asked if we were American, are we going to kill him and if we called the cops,” Fernandez said. “We told him, ‘No, man! Can you just turn your car off because you’re scaring us. You just ran us off the road and into the bushes.’ ”
Victims Hide in Gas Station
Weston’s truck then began doing circles in the middle of the road. Fernandez and his wife were rescued by a passing Dodge Ram, which also allegedly was attacked by Weston.
At one point, Ram driver Jake Rianda said his truck was pinned against an exit sign.
“At that point, I back up and go forward and he catches up to us and rams us off the road three times and almost flips us,” Rianda told KFSN-TV.
The group finally tried to hide in a nearby gas station.
Weston then drove through a fence and orchard, crashed into an irrigation ditch and broke into a nearby home before being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and assault with a deadly weapon.
Murray Tosses Heat Pack, Coach Screams at Officials as Frustrated Nuggets Lose Again
39 mins ago
India Votes in Third Phase of National Elections; Modi Escalates His Rhetoric Against Muslims
40 mins ago
New York Governor Regrets Saying Black Kids in The Bronx Don’t Know What a Computer Is
2 hours ago
Boy Scouts of America Changing Name to More Inclusive Scouting America After Years of Woes
2 hours ago
Israeli Forces Seize Rafah Crossing in Gaza, Threatening Aid and Putting Cease-Fire Talks on Edge
2 hours ago
Testifying in Hush Money Trial, Porn Actor Stormy Daniels Describes First Meeting Trump
2 hours ago
Ohtani Hits 11th Homer and Buehler Returns as Dodgers Clip Marlins for 4th Straight Win
3 hours ago
Police Disperse Pro-Palestinian Student Protest in Berlin Amid Europe-wide Demonstrations
3 hours ago
CA Restaurants Shouldn’t Be Shocked That ‘Junk Fees’ Ban Applies to Them