The Wake County Sheriff’s Office arrested one person following a brief pursuit with a car that had been reported stolen in Johnston County.
Deputies have charged 19-year-old Karel Salvador Gonzalez-Mendoza with felony speeding to elude arrest and felony hit and run following the incident.
Shortly after 9 o’clock this morning, a deputy on patrol noticed two vehicles – a blue Subaru and gray Subaru, that had been reported as stolen out of Johnston County, on the side of I-40, near Jones Sausage Road. When the deputy pulled behind the vehicles to investigate, the driver, later identified as Karel Mendoza sped away in the blue Subaru attempting to elude the deputy.
About 1.5 miles away, the vehicle exited at a high rate of speed onto the I-87 ramp and crashed into a motorist who was pulling lawn care equipment. The stolen vehicle came to rest in a wooded area and Gonzalez-Mendoza fled on foot.
With assistance from several law enforcement agencies, Gonzalez-Mendoza was taken into custody.
The motorist who was involved in the accident was transported to WakeMed with non-life threatening injuries.
