Wild pursuit ends in ditch
By Jon Johnson
PIMA — A Thursday afternoon police pursuit through Pima came to a dramatic end when a Tucson man’s vehicle slammed into a ditch after he tried to outrun officers — only to later tell them it was “like Jesus take the wheel.”
According to a Pima Police report, the incident unfolded around 3:45 p.m. on April 23 when Safford Police contacted Pima officers about a vehicle involved in an earlier pursuit that day. The car was parked on the west side of North Main Street behind a residence, with two people inside.
Officers from both agencies positioned their patrol vehicles behind the suspect car and activated their emergency lights, ordering the driver to exit. Instead, the driver started the engine and sped off.
A Pima Police officer immediately gave chase, activating his siren and notifying county dispatch that the vehicle was fleeing northbound on Main Street. As the pursuit continued onto Bryce/Eden Road, the Pima officer deployed a grappler device on the suspect vehicle’s rear driver’s side tire.
The device caused the car to begin slowing, but it then drifted into oncoming traffic, narrowly missing a southbound vehicle before crashing into a ditch.
Officers then took the driver, identified as Mikel Alexander Ochoa, 27, of Tucson, and his unnamed passenger into custody without further incident. Both the Pima and Safford officers held Ochoa at gunpoint during the arrest.
Ochoa allegedly admitted to Safford officers that he had been the driver during the earlier pursuit. During intake, he admitted to recently consuming cannabis and beer. After failing a DUI field sobriety test, officers added a charge of aggravated DUI.
When asked why he fled from police, Ochoa reportedly said he didn’t have a valid driver’s license, had missed two court hearings, and feared returning to prison.
Regarding the dangerous swerve into oncoming traffic, Ochoa allegedly quipped, “It was like Jesus take the wheel at that point.”
Court records show Ochoa has a prior conviction from 2019 for possession of a narcotic drug for sale. He has also been convicted of possessing a deadly weapon as a prohibited possessor.
The Graham County Attorney’s Office charged Ochoa with unlawful flight from pursuing law enforcement, DUI, reckless driving, open container of liquor in a vehicle, and endangerment. His bond was set at $30,000.
No injuries were reported in the crash.
