DUI Suspect Crashes Car During Palm Desert Pursuit: Deputies

PALM DESERT, CA — As deputies in Palm Desert on Tuesday attempted to stop a motorist, who was wanted on a felony warrant and was "driving erratically," the suspect reportedly drove off and crashed his car before his arrest, officials said.

Jose Matus, 26 of Coachella, was driving a gray Toyota Verso shortly after 11 a.m. near Fred Waring Drive and Town Center Way in Palm Desert when deputies tried to pull him over, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said.

Matus' refusal to yield to law enforcement, combined with his alleged erratic driving, led to a pursuit that included a collision with another vehicle near Highway 74 and Shadow Mountain Drive, the agency said.

The pursuit ended and Matus was arrested in the driveway of a home on Kavanaugh Court, deputies said.

Matus' car and the vehicle he struck both sustained minor damage, but no injuries were reported, the department said.

Matus was arrested, and after a medical clearance, was booked in jail for the no-bail felony warrant and suspicion of felony evading, driving under the influence and and hit-and-run, officials said.

Anyone with information on the case can contact Deputy Patrick Mushinskie at the Palm Desert Station (760) 836-1600 or can submit an online tip using the Sheriff's CrimeTips form.

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