Intoxicated man arrested after fleeing fiery crash
BONNEVILLE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) - Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputies and Idaho Falls Fire responded to a vehicle accident last Friday evening just before 7 p.m. on N. 5th W. near 97th N.
It was reported the vehicle involved was on fire and the driver, an adult male, fled from the scene.
When emergency personnel arrived, the vehicle was fully engulfed and hanging over the guardrail of a canal bridge.
Fire personnel quickly put the fire out and bystanders pointed deputies to the direction where the driver had fled on foot.
Deputies located the male, later identified as Christopher T. Reynolds, approximately ¾ of a mile away attempting to hide in the grass on the canal bank and took him into custody. When asked, Reynolds told Deputies he had been drinking alcohol. Through a check of Reynold’s criminal history, deputies discovered at least two previous convictions for Driving Under the Influence in the State of California.
Reynolds was transported by deputies to Idaho Falls Community Hospital (IFCH) to be checked for injuries and to obtain a blood sample to determine his level of intoxication. While at the hospital Reynolds was uncooperative and attempted to push past deputies and staff until he had to be restrained outside of the emergency room in a patrol car.
After Reynolds was cleared by medical staff, deputies began transporting him to the Bonneville County Jail, but only made it a short distance from the hospital before he began hitting his head on the window and insides of the patrol car. An ambulance was called to assist with transport so Reynolds could safely be secured to a gurney, during which time he continued to resist and made physical threats of harm toward the deputies.
Upon arriving at the jail Reynolds was booked for felony driving under the influence and misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and leaving the scene of an accident.
