Kings County Man Reportedly Crashes Car While Attempting to Evade Deputies
Photos courtesy of Kings County Sheriff’s Office
A high-speed chase ended in a traffic accident in Kings County, leaving the driver injured and under law enforcement investigation.
According to a press release by the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, two deputies were on a traffic enforcement stop on Hanford Armona Road on Sunday, April 16, when they heard the sound of squealing tires. They spotted a white Lexus driving south through the intersection of 17th Avenue and Hanford Armona Road without stopping at the four-way stop.
The deputies pursued the Lexus to make a traffic stop, but the driver, later identified as Jorge Penuelas, allegedly tried to evade them by pulling over to the side of the road with the car’s lights off.
Before the deputies approached the car, Jorge rolled down his window and peered at them through the side mirror. He then suddenly put the Lexus into gear and took off at a high rate of speed. The deputies initiated a chase that led them onto eastbound Highway 198, but the Lexus was still pulling away, even as the deputies drove at 130 miles per hour.
The chase continued until the Lexus exited Highway 198 on the 14th Avenue off-ramp, where the deputies lost sight of the car and the pursuit was terminated, the Sheriff’s Office said.
A citizen later waved down a deputy and informed them that the Lexus had driven back onto Highway 198 from 14th Avenue. Soon after, Kings County Dispatch reported a traffic accident near the Lyn Street apartments located on the 13000 Block of Lyn Street in Armona. Upon arrival, authorities found that Jorge had lost control of the Lexus and drove through a fence onto Lyn Street, where he struck a parked car.
Jorge was injured in the crash and was airlifted to a local area hospital for treatment, the Sheriff’s Office said. The California Highway Patrol arrived at the scene to conduct a traffic accident investigation. The investigation is ongoing, and more information may be released in the coming days.
In the mean time, the Sheriff’s Office has presented the case to the county District Attorney and is seeking a charge of felony evading, among others.
