Driver Arrested After Ramming Into Multiple Vehicles In North County

VISTA, CA — A man accused of deliberately ramming his pickup truck into five other vehicles was arrested after leading deputies on a road and foot chase in northern San Diego County.

Francisco Gerardo Sustaita, 44, started his traffic rampage shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday by intentionally ramming his Toyota Tundra into another vehicle in a Starbucks drive-thru lane in the 1700 block of West Vista Way in Vista, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.

Sustaita drove away from the coffee chain and purposely crashed his truck into a second vehicle at the intersection of West Vista Way and North Emerald Drive, Sgt. Eric Cottrell said. When deputies tried to pull him over, Sustaita refused to stop and led them on a road chase. He intentionally crashed into three more vehicles while fleeing, Cottrell said.

Sustaita's spree came to an end when his truck broke down near Valencia Drive, Cottrell said. He abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.

When deputies caught up to him, they had to use a full-body restraint to take Sustaita into custody, Cottrell said.

The crashes left several people, including Sustaita, with minor injuries, Cottrell said. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and later booked into the Vista Detention Facility on suspicion of multiple felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon.

The incident remains under investigation. It was not yet known if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the rampage, Cottrell said.