Man fleeing cops blames girlfriend

Tag : Off-The-Road Tires
Man fleeing cops blames girlfriend
NNNNN Comments by Sarah Muench - Jan. 10, 2008 12:07 PM
The Arizona Republic
Chandler police have arrested a man they believe fled from officerswhile driving drunk in south Chandler - then crashed the vehicle,jumped into his girlfriend's lap and told police she was thedriver, court records show.
Police arrested Matthew Henry Fleming, 22, Wednesday on suspicionof unlawful flight, endangerment and DUI, police said.
A police report shows a patrol officer looking for stop signviolations near Basha and Ocotillo roads noticed Fleming, driving aDodge pickup truck, run the stop sign at about 12:20 a.m. Theofficer pulled onto westbound Ocotillo but Fleming made a U-turn athigh speed and began traveling eastbound.
The officer witnessed Fleming driving and then running a red lightat Arizona Avenue and Ocotillo Road, dodged another patrol officerand drove into oncoming traffic for about a mile near McQueen Road,records show.
Police deployed stop sticks and deflated three of the truck'stires. Fleming then lost control, ran off the road and hit a firehydrant, police said.
Fleming then jumped onto his girlfriend's - the passenger's - lapand told police his girlfriend, Melissa Alvarado, was the driver.
Alvarado told police she was yelling at Fleming to stop, was afraidfor her life and would aid in prosecution, records show.
Fleming has more than 20 prior charges and convictions, whichinclude fleeing authorities, court records show. He is on probationfor drugs, assault and burglary.
Fleming was booked into Maricopa County Jail.