By Bay City News Service:
San Mateo police arrested an alleged drunken driver who evaded police Saturday and chucked beer bottles from his vehicle during the noontime pursuit, officails say.
William Faleofa, 28, was arrested after allegedly fleeing the area of Fourth and Humboldt streets in San Mateo's North Central neighborhood, according to San Mateo police.
There, police say, the tan sport utility vehicle that Faleofa was driving crashed into a white Ford truck, forcing it to strike a white Honda Civic, injuring the passenger inside.
When police were called, they were told that a tan SUV with a man drinking a beer was behind the wheel when the crash occurred, according to San Mateo Police Department spokesman Sgt. David Norris.
About a half-hour after the noontime incident, a San Mateo police sergeant who had heard the description of the tan Ford Excursion suspect vehicle spotted it heading toward the scene of the accident. Police say that when the sergeant attempted to pull over the vehicle, Faleofa took off at a high rate of speed on U.S. Highway 101 north toward Burlingame.
During a three-mile pursuit, Faleofa allegedly threw a box containing four empty beer cans from the vehicle. The pursuit ended in the 700 block of Linden Avenue in Burlingame.
Faleofa was arrested on charges of felony DUI, felony hit and run, and driving on a suspended license. He was also put on a parole hold, according to police.
According to Norris, a noontime Saturday DUI arrest reinforces the fact that DUIs can happen any time, not just at night. He advises that the public continue to keep an eye out to assist police in keeping the public safe.
"This is another opportunity to thank you - our public - for assisting us with outstanding witness information," Norris said in a statement. "DUI cases are time-sensitive due to the need to obtain fleeting blood-alcohol evidence from the suspect."
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