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Tempe PD: Man causes hit-and-run crash by striking car 5 times, pushing it into intersection

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TEMPE, AZ — A man caused a hit-and-run crash in Tempe, striking another car five times and pushing it into an intersection.

Tempe police report that on Wednesday night, Lorenzo Belmares, 42, was driving an unlicensed Lexus near Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway when he rear-ended a car at the intersection.

Witnesses say he then struck the car a total of five times, pushing the other vehicle into the intersection. The female driver would later tell police that she was scared for her life.

Belmares drove away, abandoning his car in the back of a nearby business. Witnesses flagged down responding officers and pointed out Belmares, who was detained by police.

Belmares allegedly told police that he ran because he was scared because of the drugs he had with him. Police say they found 98 Oxycodone pills in his pockets along with tin foil with burn marks on it.

Belmares was arrested for reckless driving, endangerment, aggravated assault, and failure to stay at an accident scene.