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Man accused of crashing into gas station and starting fire was on his way to court for previous DUI
The man accused of crashing his car at a Chandler gas station and causing a fire was on his way to court for DUI. Now, he's facing new DUI allegations. FOX 10's Nicole Garcia reports.
CHANDLER, Ariz. - New details surrounding a DUI suspect accused of crashing his car at a Chandler gas station, which caused an explosion and fire, are emerging.
According to Chandler Police, 21-year-old Clemente Torres was actually on his way to DUI court for a previous arrest when Thursday's incident happened.
When officers found and arrested him a short time later, his blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. This means Torres has now been arrested for DUI twice.
In addition to DUI, Torres is facing five felony counts, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Clemente Torres
Police say Torres admitted he was driving the car that crashed and sparked an explosion at a gas station. Witnesses say they heard tires squealing, and it looked like Torres' car was doing a donut before the crash.
"Next thing you know, the front end of his car is running over the middle pump where the woman was pumping her gas," said Robert Waite.
Waite says he saw Torres stand there, as two other men ran to help the woman, who was on the ground and on fire. They pulled her out of the flames.
"He just jumped out of the car and in shock," said Waite.
Waite snapped a photo as Torres ran away from the scene.
Chandler police have identified the man seen in this photo as the suspect, Clemente Torres. (Courtesy: Robert Waite)
Officers later went to Torres' home, where relatives said Torres was on his way to Veteran's Court in Tempe for a previous DUI arrest. When police found Torres, they say they could smell alcohol on his breath.
According to police, results from a breathlyzer test given to Torres show he had a blood alcohol level of .241.
According to court records, Torres was finished getting gas, and was trying to make a u-turn and accelerated the gas pedal, causing him to lose control of his car.
"Just a crazy situation. Who acts like they got the checkered flag at Indy at a gas station?" said Waite.
If convicted of the aggravated assault charges, Torres is facing mandatory prison time. Bond for Torres was set at $50,000. If bond is posted, he is required to wear a GPS monitor.