EDGEWOOD, NEW MEXICO – Edgewood Police say officers used a PIT maneuver Sunday afternoon to stop a suspected drunk driver who nearly caused multiple crashes on Interstate 40.
According to investigators, officers were dispatched around 12:10 p.m. after a caller reported a red Jeep Comanche swerving across lanes and forcing other vehicles onto the shoulder. Police located the vehicle on I-40 west and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to pull over. Officers tried using a tire deflation device, but when that failed, an officer executed a PIT maneuver to end the pursuit in the median.
The driver, identified as 48-year-old Anthony Perea of Rio Rancho, was allegedly drinking from a Jack Daniel’s bottle when the vehicle came to a stop. Police say Perea later blew nearly three times the legal alcohol limit. Officers also found an empty whiskey bottle and a bag containing a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine inside the Jeep.
Court documents show the Jeep was stolen, and Perea’s license had been revoked. He now faces multiple charges, including:
- Aggravated DWI
- Open container
- Unlawful taking of a vehicle
- Reckless driving
- Aggravated fleeing law enforcement
- Resisting, evading or obstructing an officer
- Driving while license revoked
The vehicle was seized, and police say a search warrant will be drafted as they suspect additional drugs may be inside. Perea was booked into the Santa Fe County Detention Center.
