A driver going 15 mph under the speed limit doesn’t sound like the beginning of a police pursuit. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, it allegedly became a bizarre chase through an active construction zone that ended with officers trying to keep the driver from reaching oncoming traffic.
The Santa Fe Police Department released dashcam and bodycam video of the Aug. 11 pursuit involving 65-year-old Della Gomez. Police say a traffic officer was conducting enforcement on Interstate 25 near Richards Avenue around 5:33 p.m. when he spotted a Hyundai traveling about 60 mph in the left lane of a 75 mph zone and allegedly impeding traffic.
The officer attempted to stop the Hyundai, but Gomez allegedly didn’t pull over. She continued northbound despite emergency lights, a siren, and repeated commands over the officer’s public address system.
Dashcam footage captures the officer trying to figure out what is happening as the Hyundai continues down the interstate. He tells dispatch that he isn’t sure whether the driver is confused and later says he suspects she may be impaired because of her erratic driving and refusal to stop.
The Pursuit Began With a Driver Who Wouldn’t Pull Over
The police video shows the officer following the Hyundai northbound on I-25 and repeatedly trying to get Gomez to stop. His commands are clear: “Pull over. Stop your vehicle.” He can also be heard telling her to move to the right.
She keeps going.
Police say Gomez purposely weaved from the left lane to the right lane rather than yielding. The officer also tries to get ahead of the Hyundai and slow it down, but the pursuit continues.
As they approach mile marker 286, the situation becomes more dangerous. The officer reports that the Hyundai is weaving through a construction zone and asks for assistance and spike strips while continuing to order Gomez to stop.
Police say the officer suspected Gomez might be impaired by alcohol or drugs because of her driving behavior and continued flight. Police did not list a DWI charge among the charges filed in connection with the pursuit.
She Drove Through an Active Construction Zone
Near mile marker 286, police say Gomez left the open travel lane and entered a lane that had been closed for construction. This wasn’t an empty work zone. Roadwork was underway, with construction workers and equipment in the closed lane, according to police.
Gomez allegedly moved back and forth between the open roadway and the closed construction lane. Dashcam footage shows the Hyundai traveling between barrels as the officer follows, and police say she intentionally struck several construction barrels before continuing north.
The Hyundai eventually passed the construction zone and continued beyond the Eldorado exit. Two additional Santa Fe police officers from Patrol Team B responded to assist as the pursuit continued north.
By then, Gomez had allegedly ignored repeated commands to stop, entered a lane closed for active roadwork, and struck construction barrels. The pursuit still wasn’t over.
The Pursuit Headed Toward Oncoming Traffic
Near mile marker 297, police say Gomez drove into the interstate median and appeared to be attempting to turn around or enter the oncoming lanes as a semi-truck approached.
Dashcam footage shows officers moving quickly as the Hyundai travels into the median. Police say an officer conducted a blocking maneuver, and officers then got out and ordered Gomez to exit the vehicle.
She initially refused and allegedly tried to flee again. Police say Gomez put the Hyundai in reverse and bumped the police vehicle blocking her from behind.
An officer reached through the open window and took control of Gomez’s arm before officers removed her from the Hyundai and placed her under arrest. Police said she was taken into custody without further incident.
Bodycam footage provides a closer look at what happened next. Gomez repeatedly complains about her arm and tells officers she isn’t drunk. At one point, she makes a comment that would later stand out.
“I just got out of jail. I don’t want to go back,” Gomez says.
Officers tell her they will have an ambulance check her out.
Gomez Was Booked Into Jail
Police arrested Gomez on charges of aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, driving while her license was suspended or revoked, impeding traffic, and failure to obey traffic control devices in a construction zone. She was taken to a local hospital for medical clearance before being booked into the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Center.
Jail records show an Aug. 11 intake date and currently list Gomez’s status as “Active.” The four charges stemming from the I-25 pursuit are marked “RELEASED BY JUDGE,” while two separate temporary detention orders and a pretrial detention matter are listed as active.
The jail record does not explain what Gomez meant when she told officers she had “just got out of jail.” Without records tying that statement to a particular earlier booking or case, it would be premature to make that connection.
People Had Plenty to Say About the Unusual Pursuit
Commenters quickly noticed one of the stranger details in the video: despite everything police say happened during the pursuit, speeding wasn’t among the allegations.
“At least she was never speeding?” one person wrote.
Others focused on what could have happened inside the construction zone. “Thank God she didn’t hit any construction people,” one commenter wrote, while another expressed relief that officers stopped the Hyundai before it could potentially reach the approaching semi-truck.
Some commenters also questioned why officers didn’t end the pursuit sooner, including whether they could have used a PIT maneuver or other pursuit-stopping equipment. The Santa Fe Police Department’s account does not say whether those tactics were available or considered appropriate under the circumstances.
Gomez is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.