Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for High Speed Chase that Injured CHP Officers
SALINAS (CBS SF) -- A Monterey man received a 15-year prison sentence Thursday in a Salinas courtroom for multiple felonies for his conviction in August stemming from his involvement in a high speed pursuit, in which he drove into three separate police cars, leaving one officer with a concussion and another with minor injuries.
Following a two-day trial in August, the jury found Francis Anthony Humes, 38, guilty of four counts of assault with a deadly weapon on an officer, two counts of evading an officer, evading an officer against traffic, driving with a suspended license and two counts of resisting arrest.
Officers first contacted Humes on February 24 after he was observed in Carmel driving a vehicle that had an expired registration but displayed a current registration tag. When the officer tried to pull over Humes' vehicle, Humes sped off in a dangerous manner.
Officers eventually caught up with Humes and tried to detain him but he resisted, fled on foot and then got into his vehicle and drove off, prosecutors said.
Then on March 5, a CHP officer saw Humes nearly cause a collision after cutting off a semi-truck on U.S. Highway 101 in Prunedale. When the CHP officer tried to pull Humes' vehicle over, a pursuit ensued in which Humes allegedly ran a red light, drove in the opposite lanes, and reached up to 90 and 100 mph in an effort to avoid the CHP officer.
While driving along Pesante Way, Humes' vehicle struck the front of CHP patrol car. He then drove the vehicle in reverse and hit the front of another patrol car before driving his vehicle forward and striking a third patrol car, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said the case was the cumulative effort of the multiple law enforcement agencies including Carmel-by-the-Sea Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Del Rey Oaks Police Department, Monterey County Sheriff's Office, the Multi-Agency Detail for Combatting Auto Theft, Monterey Police Department, Seaside Police Department and the Peninsula Regional Violence and Narcotics Team.
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