A 24-year-old New York man didn’t read yesterday’s release. If he did, he would have known getting into a pursuit with the Traffic Safety Unit would only result in him getting a felony.

On October 31st, at approximately 4:00 p.m. Deputy S.C. Martin was traveling on his Sheriff’s Office motorcycle Southbound on Richmond Highway in the area of South Campus Boulevard. While doing so, he observed a vehicle coming directly towards him, traveling Northbound in the Southbound lanes. The suspect vehicle was traveling on the wrong side of the road in order to pass vehicles.

After witnessing the blatant disregard for traffic safety, Deputy Martin would make a U-turn in an effort to conduct a traffic stop. The suspect vehicle, now in the left turn lane at the intersection of Hospital Center Boulevard, would instead decide to turn right, cut across lanes of traffic, and proceed to accelerate. This would result in a pursuit.

The pursuit would not last long as deputies were able to stop the vehicle on Old Potomac Church Road. The driver, Bryan Galdames Cruz, was taken into custody without further incident. He admitted to passing vehicles using the wrong side of the road due to the other vehicles “going too slow”. While driving like that might be accepted in New York, this was Stafford County.

Cruz was charged with felony eluding and reckless driving. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.