Yreka, Cal.- A call about a wrong-way driver led to a 90 minute standoff and an officer injury early Wednesday morning near Yreka.
According to California Highway Patrol, a driver called in after seeing another driver heading southbound in the northbound lanes of I-5 in the area of the Anderson Grade Summit.
Yreka Police Department immediately started searching for the wrong-way driver. Within minutes, an officer spotted the black 2003 Acura MDX still traveling in the wrong direction. The officer turned on their lights, but police say the driver didn’t stop.
Both Yreka and Mount Shasta California Highway Patrol officers ultimately deployed a spike strip at Julien Creek. The driver kept going, but came to a stop near the Siskiyou Boulevard overpass.
For more than 90 minutes, police say the driver refused to leave the car. When the situation reached an impasse, officers had to forcefully remove the driver. During that removal, a Yreka Police Department officer sustained minor injuries.
Wednesday morning, police identified the driver as Walter Salazar-Ardon, 43, of Lynnwood, Washington.
Salazar-Ardon was taken to the hospital, then cleared for booking at Siskiyou County Jail. Recommended charges against him include Reckless Evading and Assault on a Peace Officer.
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