Amherst man leaps from car, leads police on chase

    An Amherst man has been booked into the Logan County Jail after leading local law enforcement on a late-night car and foot chase last Saturday, Dec. 15.
    Rubier Eredelio Martinez, 28, is suspected to have been under the influence of methamphetamine when he evaded a traffic stop in the 200 block of East Denver Street in Holyoke around 11:30 p.m., Holyoke Police Sgt. Mark Werts said.
    Werts said the vehicle — a 1992 Mercury coupe — sped away when he tried to pull it over for having no working taillights.
    Martinez cut into the parking lot of Kwik Stop at the intersection of Denver Street and Interocean Avenue and jumped out of the moving vehicle, which continued west across North Interocean Avenue, nearly striking a light pole and Mike Neill’s State Farm Insurance office.
    Martinez then began running loops around the convenience store and neighboring Hometown Liquors, refusing to comply with orders from HPD officers.
    He was arrested between the two businesses after backup arrived from the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office. Because he resisted being handcuffed, a Taser was deployed.
    Martinez was found to be in possession of a small amount of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. He was charged with numerous offenses, including reckless driving, driving while license under suspension, driving under the influence of drugs, felony eluding, possession of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine), obstructing a peace officer and resisting arrest. He also had an outstanding warrant for a traffic violation in Logan County.
    The patrol that resulted in Martinez’s capture was funded by a CDOT grant to bolster DUI enforcement during the holidays. Werts said another driver who left Kwik Stop during the incident involving Martinez was also arrested for DUI.