Man Faces Charges for Wild Driving Against Bay Bridge Traffic and 3 Crashes
OAKLAND — A man faces charges for a wild Sunday drive at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. A tow truck reported stolen sped through the toll plaza and nearby freeway—against traffic resulting in three crashes.
A harrowing situation unfolded November 28 shortly after 4 p.m. A driver parked the truck in front of the toll plaza and refused to move it. When California Highway Patrol officers arrived on the scene, he sped away.
After traveling a short distance, the driver turned around and went through the toll plaza against oncoming traffic. The wayward driver continued traveling the wrong way towards the Highway 24 interchange. Next, the driver turned around again, but this time traveled with the flow of traffic and through the tolls.
On the bridge incline the driver turned around, traveling against traffic and through the toll plaza again. Near the tolls, an officer deployed a spike strip hoping to stop the truck.
Undeterred, the driver rammed into an unoccupied CHP cruiser, slamming it backwards through a toll lane. The suspect nearly rammed a second CHP cruiser, but an officer maneuvered it out of the way.
Next the truck headed towards Emeryville, before it turned around going the wrong way again. The driver continued until crashing into a vehicle, near an exit to San Pablo Avenue. Before that, he also hit another vehicle on the bridge.
The third crash ended the chase. The suspect identified as Martin Pinzon-Cayetano, 46 of Oakland, was detained. He and a CHP officer both received medical care for minor injuries.
Pinzon-Cayetano was subsequently booked at Santa Rita Jail and charged with-
Assault with a deadly weapon
Vehicle theft
Evading an officer against traffic
Evading an officer with disregard for safety
Battery upon an officer
Hit and run
Vandalism
