(Daniel Cruz of Fort Campbell)

A Fort Campbell man is behind bars after police say he crashed his vehicle on Riverside Drive and left his injured passenger inside alone in the vehicle to run from police.

Clarksville Police say on Sunday, a little after midnight, an officer was on Riverside Drive and clocked a silver Dodge pickup, using radar, traveling 86 miles per hour on Riverside Drive. 

Due to the high rate of speed of the pickup, the officer radioed to see if any other vehicles in the area could get behind the vehicle and attempt a traffic stop. 

Sergeant Jimmy Brown, with the Montgomery County Sheriff”s Office, spotted the vehicle and clocked it going over 90 mph shortly before the driver lost control and crashed into a retaining wall at the intersection of Crossland Avenue and Riverside Drive.

The man, was identified as 27-year old Daniel Cruz of Fort Campbell and police say through the course of investigation, it was determined that Cruz was involved in a hit and run, involving minor injury, with two other vehicles stopped at a traffic light at Riverside and North Second Street before he crashed his vehicle into the retaining wall.

The 23-year old female passenger in the vehicle with Cruz was not wearing a seatbelt and was transported by ambulance to Gateway Medical Center and was then taken by Lifeflight to Vanderbilt with possible internal injuries.

Daniel Cruz is now charged with DUI, Evading, Evading Arrest in a Vehicle, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Vehicular Assault, Failure to Exercise Due Care and Reckless Driving.

Cruz was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on a $34,500.
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(02/04/2013/MF)