By Riley S. Lovejoy, Attorney at Law – Today, an early-morning crash in Gaffney, South Carolina occurred after a DUI suspect stole a police car. The incident began with a traffic stop that happened about 2 a.m. An officer stopped Ronnie T. Martin, 36, for suspicion of driving under the influence. Martin was administered a field sobriety test and was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Martin was handcuffed behind his back and placed in the rear seat of a squad car. The officer went back to Martin's vehicle to secure the vehicle and a passenger, and then he saw that Martin had opened the rear door of the police car. Martin had managed to lower the rear door window, reach outside and open the door.
As the officer ran toward the squad car, Martin sped off. One officer suffered a minor ankle injury as he attempted to stop the vehicle. Other officers on the scene proceeded to chase the squad car. Martin ran off the road several times, striking a pole and a curb, causing one or more tires to deflate. As Martin sped away, he lost control and went into the opposite lane of traffic, hitting an oncoming 2007 Honda. "I heard like a big boom," said Saxon Owens, 10, who lives in a house near the accident scene. "I ran in there to my mama and I got her up, and we looked outside and we saw a lot of policemen around our house and we saw a man on the ground, and then we saw the ambulance and everything come."
The driver of the Honda was seriously injured. Both Martin and the driver of the Honda were transported to a Medical Center. Martin was transported by air. Martin was listed in fair condition, while Downey was also in fair condition, according to hospital officials. Highway Patrol investigators confirmed that Martin was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the squad car. The victim was wearing a seat belt, and air bags were deployed in her vehicle during the crash. Several charges are expected to be filed against Martin, including DUI, escape and failure to stop for blue lights. Read WYFF4’s full story here.
For information on your Washington State DUI please contact our Snohomish County DUI attorneys, King County DUI attorneys, Island County DUI attorneys, or Skagit County DUI attorneys at 425-493-1115 or check out our website at http://www.washdui.com
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