Driver of speeding pickup arrested in Fernley

A Mexican national who is accused of driving a lifted pickup at speeds up to 100 mph through Gardnerville and Minden is in Douglas County custody after he was arrested in Fernley on Thursday night.

A number on a paper temporary plate was sufficient to lead authorities Santos Benitez-Tejada.

Benitez-Tejada, 44, was located in Fernley by Nevada State Police at around 9:20 p.m. Thursday after Douglas deputies traced the information to him.

He’s accused of felony eluding, reckless driving speeding 20 mph plus through a school zone.

He was booked into Lyon County Jail and was transferred to Douglas County where he was booked late this afternoon.

Deputies responded to a report of a blue GMC pickup speeding and driving recklessly, running other vehicles off Highway 395 near Leviathan Mine Road.

Deputies spotted him near 395 and 10^th St. in Minden and tried to pull him over, but he accelerated onto Highway 88 traveling through the school zone at 80 mph. 

Deputies pursued the truck down 88 and then over Fairview to Foothill Road before the driver turned onto Kingsbury Grade. Spike strips were deployed, according to radio traffic, but it didn’t stop the pickup, which was driven into oncoming lanes, forcing motorists to evade him and endangering lives.

Deputies pursued the truck into California, where they last saw him heading up Pioneer Trail.