Accused Drunk Driver Flees From Police, Hides In Apple Tree

An Ephrata man is behind bars after police say he fled from law enforcement to avoid being arrested for DUI early Saturday.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office says it began at around 2 a.m. in the 9500 block of Adams Road Northwest when deputies tried to pull over 36-year-old Lopez Montes.

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Sheriff's spokesperson, Kyle Foreman, says Montes sped away and then fled on foot into an orchard several miles away in the 12000 block of Martin Road.

"Deputies surrounded the orchard and made a perimeter, and then went into the orchard to try and find Montes. After several minutes, a deputy using a handheld infrared camera was able to find him hiding in an apple tree. He was brought down and taken into custody."

Foreman says Montes was given a breathalyzer test which showed his blood alcohol concentration was more than twice the legal limit at 0.19.

Montes was booked into the Grant County Jail for investigation of DUI and felony eluding.

10 States With the Highest Rates of DUI Arrests.

Marketwatch.com looked at the FBI’s 2021 Crime in the United States report to find the 10 states with the most DUI arrests and the 10 states with the highest rates of these arrests per 100,000 people.

Gallery Credit: Kyle Matthews

Source: Accused Drunk Driver Flees From Police, Hides In Apple Tree

Filed Under: dui, ephrata, grant county sheriffs office