Carlos Albert Diaz is in custody after driving on a suspended license into Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies who were meeting with Mesa Police officers to discuss a joint investigation in the parking lot of a Circle K located at 401 S. Ellsworth Rd. in Mesa.
Diaz has been charged with driving on a suspended license, failing a field sobriety test, and using illegal drugs.
According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), at about 4:00 a.m., on May 9, three uniformed deputies were meeting with three uniformed Mesa PD officers were discussing the investigation while standing by their fully marked patrol vehicles.
At approximately 4:15 a.m., Diaz driving a white 1996 Buick Century north on Ellsworth Rd. turned into the Circle K parking lot at a high rate of speed and accelerated, colliding with the rear of one of the Mesa PD vehicles and striking two of the MCSO deputies and one of the Mesa officers. One deputy and one Mesa PD officer were hit so hard they rolled onto the hood of the Buick; a second deputy was struck in the leg. The collision pushed the Mesa PD vehicle 15 feet forward.
The uninjured officers and deputy radioed for assistance and gave commands to the driver to exit the vehicle at gunpoint. The driver did not respond to the commands. Mesa PD officers broke the window of the vehicle and extracted the driver who was placed into handcuffs.
Both MCSO deputies and the Mesa officer were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and were later released after treatment.
Diaz was booked into the Fourth Avenue Jail for 3 counts ARS 13-1204A2: Agg Assault Dangerous Instrument / Weapon (vehicle), 6 counts ARS 13-1201A: Endangerment,1 count ARS 28-1383A1: Agg DUI DOSL 1 count ARS 28-1381A1: DUI Drug, 1 count ARS 28-3473A: DOSL, 2 counts ARS 13-1602A1: Criminal Damage.