Police: Delhi man crashes stolen car during pursuit

A high-speed chase ended Saturday in Atwater after a man crashed a stolen vehicle into a canal, the Police Department reported.

Nicholas J. Farley, 23, of Delhi, was booked into the Merced County Jail on suspicion of more than half a dozen criminal allegations, including evading police and vehicle theft, according to booking records.

Atwater police Officer Michael Rivera spotted a stolen gray Honda Accord around 12:30 p.m. in the area of Bellevue Road and Vine Street, Lt. Samuel Joseph told the Sun-Star.

The driver, later identified by police as Farley, sped away from officers, Joseph said.

The chase, which reached speeds above 100 mph, ended when the driver tried to jump a canal with the speeding Honda near Almond Avenue and Cressey Way, but crashed the vehicle. The driver fled on foot, but was captured quickly and arrested, police said.

Joseph said the chase lasted about five minutes and covered a little more than four miles.

The stolen vehicle sustained major front-end damage. There were no injuries and no other property was damaged, officers said.

Farley has been arrested twice this year in theft-related cases which are still pending in Merced County Superior Court. He has at least two prior drug possession convictions, records show.

He was also cited last month for methamphetamine possession when officers found him in a vehicle along with another man who was suspected of stealing mail, police said.

Farley remained in custody Saturday night on more than $112,000 bail, booking records show.

This story was originally published April 25, 2015 at 7:28 PM with the headline "Police: Delhi man crashes stolen car during pursuit."