VENTNOR – Police charged a Pitman man with numerous offenses after evading police while driving on the streets of Ventnor.
According to a release from Public Information Officer Joe Fussner, on Saturday Oct. 16, at 3:25 a.m., Officer Chelsea Burns was on patrol and observed a gold-colored Buick LeSabre strike two parked vehicles on the unit-block of S. Somerset Avenue and leave the scene. Burns attempted to stop the vehicle but the driver refused to stop and fled.
Officers did not engage in a vehicle pursuit and lost sight of the vehicle as it drove the wrong way onto Winchester Avenue.
A short time later, the vehicle was located by Officer Anthony Vitanza, who attempted to stop it, but the driver, later identified as Hernan Gorostieta-Hernandez, 26, of Pitman, again refused to stop and fled. While fleeing, the Buick struck the Vitanza’s patrol vehicle.
Sgt. Mario Lima then reported that the suspect vehicle was stopped at the intersection of Oxford and Atlantic avenues. Lima attempted a motor vehicle stop, and this time Gorostieta-Hernandez stopped.
Police said Gorostieta-Hernandez was visibly impaired, and several empty alcoholic beverages containers were observed inside the Buick.
Gorostieta-Hernandez refused to comply with officers’ commands to exit the vehicle and was eventually removed from the vehicle. He resisted arrest and eventually was then placed into custody by Sgt. Lima, Officer Vitanza and Officer Burns.
Gorostieta-Hernandez was charged with eluding, obstructing the administration of law, resisting arrest, and refusal to submit to processing on a warrant authorized by Municipal Court Judge Howard Freed.
He was additionally charged with numerous motor vehicle violations, including, driving while intoxicated, refusal to submit to breath testing, reckless driving, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash. He was transported to the Atlantic County Justice Facility on a warrant pending court proceedings.
