A 27-year-old man is accused of stealing a vehicle in Apache Junction and fleeing from officers during a traffic stop, sending authorities on an hourlong pursuit through two cities.
According to Apache Junction spokesman Sgt. Steve Kridler, driver Abelardo Ularte fled from police after three cruisers attempted to make a traffic stop on the stolen vehicle near Apache Trail and Meridian Road at 4 p.m.
After Ularte ran a red light, Kridler said the street chase was called off because it could endanger other drivers. A Mesa Police Department helicopter followed Ularte for an hour while he drove up to 70 miles per hour through Mesa and Apache Junction, running stop signs and red lights, Kridler said.
Police tried to deploy stop sticks, but Ularte avoided them by making U-turns, he said.
Kridler said Ularte drove into the desert to evade capture, but his vehicle fell into a ditch and became inoperable.
He attempted to run around a trailer house at 999 W. Broadway Road but slammed into the side of a van on the other side. The crash slowed him down enough to allow officers to apprehend him, Kridler said.
After his arrest, police also discovered that Ularte had a Maricopa County felony warrant for his arrest.
