ROCKINGHAM — A man is facing several charges after allegedly almost hitting a deputy’s patrol car while running a stop sign.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the unnamed deputy was en route to a call around 1:50 a.m. Saturday, May 25 “when his patrol car was nearly struck by a vehicle running through a stop sign.”
The press release, which was posted to the RCSO Facebook page on May 30, states that the deputy followed the vehicle and activated his blue lights — but the driver of the vehicle reportedly refused to stop, leading to a chase.
The driver allegedly ran through several other stop signs and stop lights before eventually pulling over at a business on East Broad Avenue.
Deputies reportedly could smell “a strong odor of alcohol coming from the driver and the interior of the vehicle.”
The driver, identified as 21-year-old Samuel James Huerta, of Rockingham, was administered tests and charged with driving while impaired and fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle.
The press release indicates Huerta was also cited with traffic violations, but those records were not reflected in online court records at the time of this writing.
Huerta was reportedly booked into the Richmond County Jail with a $10,500 secured bond, but online records appear to show he has since been released.
Records show Huerta is scheduled to appear in court June 13 on the fleeing charge and Aug. 1 for the DWI.
Huerta appears to have no prior convictions or other pending charges, according to online records.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
