An Iowa Hill man was arrested on numerous charges Friday after wreaking havoc in the town of Penryn.
Leon Eugene Wood, 43, first caught the eye of law enforcement as he passed a Placer County Sheriff’s deputy on Interstate 80 near Penryn Road driving at approximately 100 mph at 7:25 p.m. Wood yielded to the freeway’s right shoulder but quickly sped away at a high rate of speed in his Hyundai SUV.
With the deputy behind him, Wood changed lanes erratically, then exited at Penryn Road and rear-ended another vehicle. He continued on and struck a second car before jumping out of his car and fleeing on foot. A citizen joined the deputy in the foot chase and the two were able to catch Wood about 150 yards from the accident scene.
An occupant in one of the cars struck by Wood complained of neck and shoulder pain. Wood was determined to be driving under the influence of alcohol and was booked at the Placer County Jail for reckless evading, hit and run with injuries, DUI accident with injuries, resisting arrest and driving with a suspended license. He remains in custody on $30,000 bail.