A man being pursued by police struck a tree and an unoccupied car before he was taken into custody at an Arlington Metro station, Virginia State Police say.
A Virginia State Police trooper stopped 21-year-old Artis Thomas of Washington, D.C. for speeding on I-66 eastbound just before 3 a.m. Police say Thomas pulled off during the traffic stop, prompting the pursuit. The suspect got off the interstate at the North Westmoreland Street exit, and the trooper lost sight of him.
Police say Thomas ran off the road, went through a fence and struck a tree. He also hit an unoccupied car in a parking lot.
Thomas was arrested just before 4 a.m. when officers found him behind a trash can at the East Falls Church Metro station, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corrine Geller said.
Geller said a gun was found in Thomas' vehicle.
Thomas has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs, felony eluding law enforcement, possession of a concealed weapon, hit-and-run, and possession of marijuana.
