Police: Man arrested after near-crash with police car not the driver

Idaho Falls police are saying the man they had said nearly hit a police car getting away from officers was not, in fact, the driver.

According to a news release, officers were investigating a disturbance on the 400 block of Lomax on Sunday morning and were told one of those involved, Jeremy Croft, 31, had left the area in a gold Pontiac. Police said he was also wanted on other charges.

Officers found the car at the Pinecrest Inn. When they tried to stop the car, the driver left at a high rate of speed.

While the car was going down Elva, the driver drove straight into an oncoming police car, but swerved at the last moment to avoid a head-on collision, police said.

Police said they did not apprehend the driver at the time due to erratic driving and concerns over the public’s safety.

Croft was arrested Monday in a traffic stop at Common Cents on South Boulevard.

Officers had earlier said Croft was the driver, but on Monday afternoon, they said they were still looking into who was driving the car.