Community: Noon-Time Felony DUI Driver Caught, Arrested After Fleeing Crash Scene and Officers
MEDIA RELEASE / COMMUNITY ALERT
CITY of SAN MATEO POLICE DEPARTMENT
200 Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
28 year-old William Faleofa was arrested by San Mateo Police Saturday, after fleeing a collision involving an injury. Faleofa was arrested in Burlingame after evading an SMPD traffic stop, and also found to be intoxicated and driving with a suspended driver license.
San Mateo Police were called to the area of 4th Avenue and Humboldt Street just after 12 noon on Saturday, on a report of a vehicle collision. A passenger in a white Honda Civic at the scene was suffering from a minor injury. Witnesses at the scene advised SMPD that the collision occurred when a tan SUV that had been in the area drove head-on into a white Ford truck, forcing the truck into the white Honda that was behind the truck in traffic. The driver of the tan SUV was reported to have had a beer in his hand while driving just prior to the collision, and the tan SUV had left the scene.
At just after 12:30, an on-duty SMPD sergeant who had heard the description of the now hit-and-run SUV located it coming back to the area of the original collision. The sergeant attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle, a tan Ford Excursion, however it fled at a high rate of speed onto US101, with the SMPD sergeant in pursuit. At one point during the pursuit a box containing 4 empty beer containers was thrown from the suspect vehicle. The vehicle finally stopped in Burlingame in the 700 block of Linden Avenue, after leading SMPD on about a 3½ mile chase. The driver, Faleofa, was then identified as the driver in the collision by multiple witnesses, and arrested. He was also examined and found to be DUI.
Faleofa was booked into San Mateo County Jail for felony hit-and-run, felony DUI (injury), and driving with a suspended license. He was also placed on a Parole Hold.
SAFETY MESSAGES:
This is another opportunity to thank you – our public - for assisting us with outstanding witness information. DUI cases are time-sensitive due to the need to obtain fleeting blood-alcohol evidence from the suspect. Without timely witness information on this case, the full range of arrest charges may not have been possible.
A DUI arrest at noon on a Saturday reinforces the fact that DUIs can happen any time – not just at night. Always designate a sober driver, and report possible DUIs to SMPD right away via 911, or 650-522-7700 via mobile device.
MEDIA FOLLOW-UP:
This suspect in the case above has been arrested. SMPD does not have available booking photos – for booking photos, please contact the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office at pio@smcgov.org. For follow-up questions regarding this incident, please contact the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Safety tips and other information is available at SMPD’s Public Safety Blog: www.SanMateoPD.org
Subscribe to localized community alerts from SMPD, right to your mobile device and/or email – www.nixle.com
Follow us on Twitter! www.twitter.com/sanmateopd
CITY of SAN MATEO POLICE DEPARTMENT
200 Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
28 year-old William Faleofa was arrested by San Mateo Police Saturday, after fleeing a collision involving an injury. Faleofa was arrested in Burlingame after evading an SMPD traffic stop, and also found to be intoxicated and driving with a suspended driver license.
San Mateo Police were called to the area of 4th Avenue and Humboldt Street just after 12 noon on Saturday, on a report of a vehicle collision. A passenger in a white Honda Civic at the scene was suffering from a minor injury. Witnesses at the scene advised SMPD that the collision occurred when a tan SUV that had been in the area drove head-on into a white Ford truck, forcing the truck into the white Honda that was behind the truck in traffic. The driver of the tan SUV was reported to have had a beer in his hand while driving just prior to the collision, and the tan SUV had left the scene.
At just after 12:30, an on-duty SMPD sergeant who had heard the description of the now hit-and-run SUV located it coming back to the area of the original collision. The sergeant attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle, a tan Ford Excursion, however it fled at a high rate of speed onto US101, with the SMPD sergeant in pursuit. At one point during the pursuit a box containing 4 empty beer containers was thrown from the suspect vehicle. The vehicle finally stopped in Burlingame in the 700 block of Linden Avenue, after leading SMPD on about a 3½ mile chase. The driver, Faleofa, was then identified as the driver in the collision by multiple witnesses, and arrested. He was also examined and found to be DUI.
Faleofa was booked into San Mateo County Jail for felony hit-and-run, felony DUI (injury), and driving with a suspended license. He was also placed on a Parole Hold.
SAFETY MESSAGES:
This is another opportunity to thank you – our public - for assisting us with outstanding witness information. DUI cases are time-sensitive due to the need to obtain fleeting blood-alcohol evidence from the suspect. Without timely witness information on this case, the full range of arrest charges may not have been possible.
A DUI arrest at noon on a Saturday reinforces the fact that DUIs can happen any time – not just at night. Always designate a sober driver, and report possible DUIs to SMPD right away via 911, or 650-522-7700 via mobile device.
MEDIA FOLLOW-UP:
This suspect in the case above has been arrested. SMPD does not have available booking photos – for booking photos, please contact the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office at pio@smcgov.org. For follow-up questions regarding this incident, please contact the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Safety tips and other information is available at SMPD’s Public Safety Blog: www.SanMateoPD.org
Subscribe to localized community alerts from SMPD, right to your mobile device and/or email – www.nixle.com
Follow us on Twitter! www.twitter.com/sanmateopd
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