By Roger Lanse
On Friday, July 12, 2024, at about 1:49 a.m., a Silver City Police Department officer observed a silver Ford F-150 traveling east on Highway 180 near Hatch Ford at a high rate of speed. The vehicle was also driving in an erratic manner and unable to maintain its lane. Attempting to conduct a traffic stop, the Ford pulled away from the pursuing officer reaching speeds of 80 mph, according to a SCPD incident report.
Passing Highway 180 intersections at Rosedale Road; and at Walmart, where he ran another vehicle off the road, the report stated the vehicle reached speeds of 90 mph before stopping at the intersection of Madison Street in Arenas Valley, about 4 miles east of where the officer first deployed lights and sirens.
The driver, Armando Thomas Simpson, 28, of Bayard, underwent a high-risk felony stop due to the circumstances. He also agreed to take standard field sobriety tests through which, the report advised, he stumbled, swayed, and could not follow directions. Officers noticed Simpson had bloodshot and watery eyes, an open container of an alcoholic beverage in the vehicle, was unbalanced when standing or walking, and could not obey commands.
Simpson was arrested and charged with DWI; aggravated fleeing; resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer; and failure to maintain lane. According to Grant County Detention Center staff, he was booked into the GCDC on July 12, and released on an unsecured $9,000 bond by Judge Clark that same day.
