"We don't know why he ran," officer Sean Wilkenfeld, a California Highway Patrol spokesperson, told the Contra Costa Times, referring to a Newark man and recent Uber driver who led officers on a chase through Richmond, Albany, Emeryville, Berkeley, and Oakland. At times, the driver and those pursuing him reached speeds over 100 mph, but he was eventually stopped and subdued with a stun gun when he refused to surrender according to officers.
The chase began at around 9 p.m. on Monday when Highway Patrol officers attempted to pull over 37-year-old Idrees Zalmy on eastbound Interstate 80 in San Pablo for having on his high beams. A recently minted Uber driver carrying no passengers in his Toyota Camry at the time, Zalmy bolted.
The chase ended on southbound I-880 in Oakland, where officers disabled Zalmy's tires with spike strips according to the Chronicle. But even after his vehicle was stopped, Zalmy allegedly refused to surrender. Officers say they were forced to use a stun gun to subdue and arrest him.
Taken to the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on suspicion of felony evasion and resisting arrest, Zalmy listed his occupation as "Uber Driver." The CHP is reportedly investigating whether he was on his way to collect an Uber passenger at the time of the chase, but an Uber representative says that Zalmy was not logged in to the app at the time.
Zalmy has only picked up six fares in his brief time as a driver, the company said. "We have suspended Mr. Zalmy's Uber account while we work closely with the California Highway Patrol to support their investigation," Uber spokesperson Laura Zapata said.
As of yesterday afternoon, Zalmy was in custody in lieu of $80,000 bail.
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