A veteran New Orleans police officer is accused of driving drunk with a teenage relative in his car and leading Kenner police on a high-speed chase on Interstate 10 that ended in a car fire late Saturday night.
Carlos Peralta, 53, was booked Sunday with driving while intoxicated, aggravated flight from an officer and reckless operation of a vehicle, according to Jefferson Parish arrest records. Peralta, who was arrested after the chase, was driving with a 15-year-old police have described as his relative, NOLA.com reports.
Kenner police, assisted by Louisiana State Police, chased the car onto I-10 into New Orleans. The car reached speeds of 110 miles per hour and was swerving between moving vehicles when police threw out spike strips and disabled a front tire, according to arrest records. The car exited at Morrison Road, hitting a curb and going off road before catching fire, the front hood becoming “engulfed in flames,” according to arrest records.
The 15-year-old passenger quickly exited the car, but officers had to remove Peralta, who refused to get out after being asked several times, Kenner police said.
