JACKSON, Wyo. — A high speed chase on Saturday night over Teton Pass ended in the rollover of the pursued vehicle and arrest of its driver.
Yair Guarneros, 19, of Jackson was taken into custody after allegedly driving toward a pedestrian in a vacant lot before leading law enforcement on a 30-mile chase from Jackson to Idaho’s Pine Creek Pass at speeds in excess of 100 mph.
The incident was called into Teton County dispatch at 9:33 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24. The caller reported that a black Ford F-350 was doing donuts in a vacant parking lot off of W Simpson Ave when he tried to flag it down. The driver, later identified as Guarneros, started driving toward the caller.
“Once he started waving his arms, the vehicle drove directly at him and accelerated and the reporting party had to jump out of the way of the truck to avoid being struck by the vehicle,” Sargent John Faicco of the Teton County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) told Buckrail.
Officers from the Jackson Police Department and TCSO reported to the scene. A deputy from TCSO spotted a vehicle matching the description of the truck turning from W Broadway Ave onto WY 22 and started pursuit, according to Faicco.
The car pulled over where WY 22 meets Batch Plant Rd. The deputy got out of his car to conduct a traffic stop, at which point the F-350 pulled away, and the officer got back in his car to pursue it.
As the deputy chased the vehicle west, his radar clocked it going 138 mph.
The chase continued through Wilson and over Teton Pass. As the deputy pursued him, Guarneros allegedly continued to swerve left into the oncoming traffic lane and right onto the shoulder to pass cars ahead of him.
Guarneros is reported to have run 94 vehicles off the roadway while fleeing on Teton Pass, including 62 cars traveling east and 32 traveling west, according to the pursuing TCSO deputy. The deputy documented a total of 101 vehicle violations during the chase.
The 22-minute chase came to an end after Teton Pass on the Idaho side when Guarneros turned left onto Idaho 31 and was headed over Pine Creek Pass, according to Faicco. He swerved off of the highway around mile marker 15, rolling his vehicle, which landed on its side.
Guarneros sustained injuries in the crash and was taken to Teton Valley Hospital. He was released into TCSO custody after release from the hospital at 1:00 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 25.
A urinalysis later confirmed the presence of marijuana and alcohol in his system. He was also found to be carrying illegal substances.
Guarneros is being charged with 16 criminal counts, including 14 misdemeanors and two felonies. He is scheduled to appear Tuesday, Aug. 27 in front of Teton County Circuit Court Judge Erin Weisman.
