MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — The man who led police on a chase in a stolen tow truck across the DMV will spend the next 10 years in prison.
In February, a Maryland State-issued tow truck responded to a hit-and-run near Greenbelt Metro Station. When the driver of the tow truck arrived, Flavio Cesar Lanuza, 27, of Laurel, jumped inside of the tow truck and drove off.
Maryland State Police said he smashed into 13 vehicles, which led to a civilian and two law enforcement members, a Maryland state trooper and a Montgomery County Police officer, being transported to area hospitals for treatment of their injuries.
Sky9 followed overhead as police frantically tried to stop the tow truck driver, but the heavy truck just plowed through everything in its way.
Here is a breakdown of crashes the driver caused that were seen on Sky9:
- Near the Exxon gas station at Old Columbia Pike and Randolph Road
- Tow truck driver hits police cruiser
- Police car hits civilian vehicle as a result
- Near Cherry Hill and Prosperity
- Tow truck driver side swipes civilian vehicle
- Near Tech Road and Route 29
- Three civilian vehicles hit
- Near Old Columbia Pike and Tech Road
- One civilian vehicle hit
- Near Columbia Pike at Carroll Motor Fuels
- Four civilian cars hit
Lanuza took a plea deal in September to charges of second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding a marked police vehicle by failing to stop vehicle resulting in bodily injury, and 11 counts of failure to return and remain at the scene of an accident.
The judge also sentenced Lanuza to another three years and 60 days, which will run concurrent to the 10-year sentence.