Mesa man in custody following pursuit and Loop 202 crash: PD

Mesa Police say a man has been taken into custody following a pursuit that began in the East Valley on June 15.Per a statement, the incident began around 2:00 p.m., when police received reports of a man who was slumped over a car's steering wheel near Dobson Road and US 60.Investigators said while the car left the area before officers arrived, it was found a short time later near Dobson Road and University Drive."When officers attempted a traffic stop, the driver failed to yield and continued driving, at a high rate of speed and in a reckless manner. A vehicle pursuit was initiated," read a portion of Mesa Police's statement.The pursuit, according to police, continued onto Loop 202, where "a multi-vehicle collision occurred involving the suspect vehicle, a police vehicle, and several uninvolved motorists near 24th Street in Phoenix.""Officers were in preparation to deploy the Grappler, however the collision occurred before the deployment was attempted," Mesa Police officials said. "One officer sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment. The suspect was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. Luckily, no uninvolved motorists sustained major injuries."On June 16, police identified the suspect as 24-year-old Benny Rodriguez. He was taken into custody at the scene.Traffic on westbound Loop 202 was affected for some time as a result of the crash. According to court documents we obtained, Rodriguez is accused of one count of unlawful flight from pursuing law enforcement vehicle, which is a felony."Additional DUI related charges are pending the ongoing investigation," read a portion of Phoenix Police's statement.Meanwhile, a judge has set a $10,000 secured appearance bond for Rodriguez. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 25.