A driver who caused a near-fatal crash in Otay Mesa has been sentenced to three years in state prison for evading sheriff’s deputies.
A black Chevrolet truck driven by Christian Eduardo Saldana, 26, was pulled over at 2 p.m. on Nov. 26, 2018 by the Border Crimes Suppression Team in Otay Mesa for a minor traffic infraction involving something not working on his truck. Saldana yielded and was initially cooperative with deputies who were checking routine record checks on the occupants.
Saldana suddenly sped away at a high rate of speed, and deputies pursued the vehicle for 1 1/2 miles until Medina truck’s collided into an 18-wheel tractor trailer which was parked at the corner of Pacific Rim Court and Camino Maquiladora. The front end and part of the truck’s cabin became wedged under the trailer with major injuries to Saldana and two other passengers in his truck.
One man, Isuzzu Nevarez, was rushed by a helicopter to a hospital for life threatening injuries. Saldana and the other man, 39, were also taken to a hospital. The 39-year-old man was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia in the truck, which may have been the reason why Saldana drove off.
Saldana pleaded guilty to felony evasion of officers that resulted in great bodily injuries to Nevarez. Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Timothy Walsh sentenced him to three years in prison.
