Cheyenne Man Kills Himself After Chase in Stolen Vehicle
A man is dead and a woman behind bars after a high-speed chase through Cheyenne early yesterday (Sunday) morning.
Cheyenne Police Department spokesman Officer Kevin Malatesta says it all started around 12:30 a.m. when an officer tried to pull over a stolen Chevy Avalanche near E. 12th Street and Cleveland Avenue and the driver took off.
"The pursuit went through the Sun Valley neighborhood on Meadow Drive and the Avalanche crossed Taft Avenue into the Pershing Pointe apartment complex," said Malatesta. "It struck a gas line and an electrical box causing the gas and electrical services to be interrupted and causing a gas leak."
"The vehicle then drove through the parking lot a short ways and exited the apartment complex to the north, again launching into the air and landing onto Pershing Boulevard near Pierce Avenue," added Malatesta. "When the vehicle came down it completely disabled the vehicle."
When officers attempted to contact the driver, 38-year-old Charles Reno of Cheyenne, they found he had shot himself in the head.
Reno's passenger, 28-year-old Samantha Smith of Cheyenne, was arrested on outstanding warrants from Goshen County and interference when officers determined she was falsely identifying herself. Officers also found a misdemeanor amount of methamphetamine on Smith.
"Smith was transported to the hospital for treatment," said Malatesta. "Upon her release, she was arrested and taken to the Laramie County jail."
Malatesta says gas and electrical services are still being restored to the apartments, but "there's no danger to the public."