Felony evading and DUI charges were filed Friday against a man accused of leading deputies on a pursuit in the Hemet area while drunk and driving into oncoming traffic at one point.
Daniel George Hardesty, 27, of Golden, Colorado, is also charged with eluding a peace officer.
He’s being held in lieu of $100,000 bail at the Smith Correctional Facility and is slated to make his initial court appearance Monday at the Banning Justice Center.
According to Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Brad Farwell, patrolmen spotted the defendant driving erratically and attempted to stop him about 5 p.m. Wednesday, but he sped away westbound into Hemet.
“He fled from law enforcement and drove in a reckless manner, including running stop signs and driving into oncoming traffic,” Farwell alleged.
Hardesty lost control of his sedan in the 900 block of East Florida Avenue, near State Street, plowing into a street sign, at which point his vehicle stalled, according to the sergeant.
Deputies immediately took him into custody. Hardesty was not injured, nor were any deputies or other motorists, Farwell said.
The defendant has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
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