Woman leads officers on chase then crashes

Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 11 May 2023 11 May 2023

By Roger Lanse

Silver City Police Department officers were dispatched on Sunday, May 7, 2023, to the Motel 6 in reference to a criminal damage to property complaint, Officers were advised a female was in the parking lot holding a bottle of alcohol and had caused damage to a motel window. As officers made contact with the female, she was seen to be driving recklessly in a red Chevrolet Camaro in the Comfort Inn parking lot.

According to SCPD reports, the female sped out of the Comfort Inn parking lot turning north onto Mountain View Road and then turning west onto Highway 180. Refusing to comply with the officer's lights and sirens, the driver traveled through the McDonald's parking lot, then north on Pinos Altos Road at a high rate of speed. The driver continued through the property of Mando's Body Shop, striking his mailbox, traveled up a dirt berm, collided with a metal light pole on the south side of Pinos Altos Road, crashed into two trees in the 1400 block of Pinos Altos Road, and nosed into a dip on that 1400 block property. The vehicle then flipped end-for-end landing on its roof and sliding about 10 yards.

The reports said damage was caused to the mailbox and its post, the light pole, and two trees were broken in half. The vehicle was heavily damaged and all airbags were deployed.

The driver, identified as Destiny Sifuentes-Huerta, 21, of Silver City, was the only occupant in the vehicle. Officers noted she was bleeding from a laceration above her left eye and on her knee. Officers also detected slurred speech, the swaying of her body back and forth while standing, and the odor of alcohol coming from her.

While placing Sifuentes-Huerta under arrest, the reports stated she resisted, several times. She refused to answer "yes or no" when asked if she wanted to perform a Standard Field Sobriety Test or submit a breath sample, so officers considered those refusals.

Sifuentes-Huerta was transported to Gila Regional Medical Center for a medical assessment where a warrant for a blood search was executed. She was then taken to SCPD for paperwork and booked into the Grant County Detention Center.

Sifuentes-Huerta was charged with aggravated fleeing, DUI, reckless driver, resisting a peace officer, running a stop sign, and expired driver's license.

According to GCDC staff, Sifuentes-Huerta was released the next day, May 8, on her own recognizance.

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