Jared Tucker, PVON Founder/Senior Journalist
plainsvalleyonlinenews@gmail.com
ROSWELL- The driver of a vehicle that crashed on East Brasher Road Sunday morning told police oncoming headlights from another vehicle caused him to crash and roll his vehicle, police said.
According to Roswell Police Public Information Officer Todd Wildermuth, 21-year-old Zackary Ryan Salas was driving the 2007 Honda Accord that crashed in front of the FedEx facility Sunday around 5:44 a.m.
“He suffered a laceration to the neck and was treated at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center before being booked into the Chaves County Detention Center. Salas is not believed to have been intoxicated at the time,” Wildermuth said in an email statement.
Salas’s passenger was 22-year-old Cesar Julio Leyva, Wildermuth said.
Both men fled the scene and were caught by officers running in a field near the South Park Cemetery a short time later, Wildermuth said.
“Salas told investigators that following the accident, Leyva ran from the scene and he, Salas, chased after him to see if he was OK. Salas also said he fled because he did not want to get in trouble,” Wildermuth said.
Salas was charged with numerous traffic charges including leaving the scene of an accident, failure to give immediate notice of an accident, careless driving, a seat belt violation and registration and insurance infractions, Wildermuth said.
Salas posted a $300 surety bond later that day, according to CCDC staff.
Leyva was intoxicated and uncooperative, Wildermuth said, and was arrested for two unrelated outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court and failing to pay fines. Leyva was still in custody Monday, CCDC staff said.
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