VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A man has been charged after a pursuit ended in a a three-vehicle crash in Virginia Beach early Sunday morning, according to Virginia State Police.
At approximately 12:29 a.m., a trooper spotted a Ram 1500 truck on Interstate 264 westbound that had previously eluded Virginia Beach Police officers. The Ram accelerated after passing the trooper.
Authorities say the suspect vehicle exited Interstate 264 at Independence Boulevard and continued to accelerate. At the intersection of Independence Boulevard and South Plaza Trail, the trooper attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the Ram sped away at over 100 miles per hour causing the trooper to officially chase it, VSP said.
At the intersection of Independence Boulevard and Holland Road, the suspect vehicle ran a red light and struck both a red Mazda sedan and a Honda Accord.
We're told the suspect, 18-year-old Leon A. Pena of New Mexico, was taken to an area hospital. Pena is facing charges of eluding, reckless driving, failure to wear a seatbelt, DUI, DUI-maiming, underage possession of alcohol, two counts of failing to stop at a red light and a registration violation, according to VSP.
The driver of the Mazda, Naomi Kiesow of Norfolk, suffered serious injuries and was also taken to an area hospital.
The driver of the Honda, Gavin Rodriguez of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Virginia State Police say the incident remains under investigation.
