A Hollister man stole a truck in Gilroy and injured two bystanders while trying to flee from police, authorities said. The man was arrested following a pursuit with officers.
On Oct. 4, a patrol officer located a stolen vehicle in the area of Murray Avenue and Leavesley Road, Gilroy Police said in a press release. When the officer tried to conduct a traffic stop, the driver sped away southbound onto U.S. 101.
The officer briefly followed the truck but terminated the pursuit due to public safety concerns, police said.
The stolen truck then drove onto the shoulder of U.S. 101 at high speed before driving off an embankment just north of the Monterey Road exit, police said. The vehicle continued on a dirt path and drove toward a tent where a group of people was standing.
Police said the group was able to move out of the speeding vehicle’s direct path, but two people inside the tent were struck by the truck.
The driver then continued down the embankment onto East Luchessa Avenue, where police lost sight of the truck.
An officer pulled over to the tent and provided medical aid to the two people who were injured, police said. The victims were transported to a hospital for treatment and were later discharged.
Investigators arrived at the scene and found the stolen truck, abandoned at the end of Obata Court. A witness gave officers a detailed description of the stolen truck’s driver, and Gilroy Police set up a perimeter with the help of California Highway Patrol and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
After a brief search, officers contacted bystanders at the nearby truck stop and found the suspect hiding there. The driver of the stolen vehicle was identified as Danny Martinez, of Hollister, police said.
Martinez was arrested on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, fleeing and eluding police, assault with a deadly weapon and driving under the influence. He was booked at Santa Clara County Jail.
