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Officers attempted to stop a Kia Forte being driven erratically south on Sparta Avenue in Sparta around 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 1, Police Lt. John Lamon said in a release on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
The driver, Christopher Morales, 43, of North Bergen, stopped abruptly in the middle of the road before he allegedly continued on Sparta Avenue.
Morales then approached Andover Road, where two Sparta Police officers were directing traffic from an earlier incident, and sped up to 70 mph, causing them to jump out of the way to avoid being struck, police said.
The Forte then headed south onto Newton-Sparta Road, where it wound up veering off the road and crashing into a tree in Andover Township, according to police.
Morales then allegedly exited the wrecked Kia and fled into the woods, where officers found him hiding in the bushes about 20 minutes later and took him into custody.
Morales was flown to Morristown Hospital for treatment of injuries, facial lacerations, and chest pain before being taken to police headquarters, where he was charged with second-degree assault, second-degree eluding, possession of narcotics, DWI, and several other motor vehicle offenses.
Morales allegedly told police that he was driving erratically because he was injecting himself with cocaine and had done two bags of heroin earlier in the night, police said.
Morales was being held in the Morris County Correctional Facility pending a court appearance.
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