A 34-year-old man was charged with driving drunk and trying to strike two Fountain Valley police officers after plowing through the cordoned-off area where they were investigating a fatal crash, prosecutors said Thursday.
Matthew Snoyman, of Westminster, was also injured after police shot at him through the windshield of his Dodge pickup during the incident, which occurred last October.
Snoyman had a blood alcohol concentration of .23 percent as he was speeding south on Magnolia Street in the early morning hours of Oct. 14, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
The truck’s speed was above 60 mph as it powered through a roadblock at the intersection with Mint Avenue, where the fatal crash occurred, and narrowly missed two patrol vehicles, officials said.
At that point, officers had been scene for nearly six hours, combing through evidence after the driver of a Lexus jumped a median a crashed into a Toyota sedan, killing one woman.
The area was clearly blocked off with illuminated alert boards, traffic cones, police tape and multiple road closure signs, according to the DA’s office.
After nearly hitting their vehicles, Snoyman made a sharp U-turn and accelerated toward two police officers within the perimeter in a purposeful attempt to run over both, prosecutors allege.
At that point, at least one of the officers opened fire on him.
Authorities have not released details on how many rounds were shot or whether Snoyman was struck, but they did say he suffered injuries that were not life-threatening during the incident. Video from the scene showed at least four bullet holes through the front windshield of his truck.
The DA’s office said it would release additional information once its investigation into the shooting is complete.
After the shooting, Snoyman continued to drive, again cutting through caution tape and traffic cones as he sped north on Magnolia Street, officials said.
Officers later found him on Bushard Street, south of the intersection with Edinger Avenue, and took him into custody. He was then transported to the hospital for treatment.
Snoyman was charged Wednesday with two felony counts of aggravated assault on an officer and one misdemeanor count each of driving under the influence and driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content above .08 percent, the DA’s office said.
He was expected to be arraigned next Wednesday, May 30, in Westminster.
He could face a maximum possible sentence of six years and four months in state prison, plus one year in county jail, prosecutors said.