Hallucinating driver accused of causing multivehicle crash, attempted carjacking

SOUTH JORDAN — A 29-year-old West Jordan man who police say believed he was being chased by the sun while hallucinating is facing a dozen charges for allegedly injuring a father and his daughter in a crash in March and then trying to carjack another vehicle to get away.

Bernardo Abel Diaz was charged on Friday in 3rd District Court with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; two counts of negligently operating a vehicle resulting in serious injury, a third-degree felony; failing to remain at the scene of an accident, a class A misdemeanor; two counts of failing to properly operate a vehicle, failing to stop at the command of police, interfering with police and reckless driving, class B misdemeanors; and speeding and running a red light, infractions.

On March 27, Diaz was driving a Toyota Tundra and ran a red light at 10600 South and Jordan Gateway while traveling an estimated 50-60 mph on the 35-mph road, according to police. He collided with another vehicle, injuring the driver and his 5-year-old daughter. The father suffered a fractured sternum and the girl “suffered a concussion and an inflamed liver and pancreas,” charging documents state.

Diaz then hit a second vehicle, causing minor injuries to the driver. Debris from the collision hit at least two other vehicles, the charges state.

One witness told police that “after crashing, Diaz ‘busted his door open’ and proceeded to walk away from the scene” while “hitting his chest with a closed fist and yelling,” according to charging documents.

Paramedics arriving at the scene then saw Diaz run across 10600 South toward a vehicle that had stopped and “attempt to forcefully remove the adult female driver from her vehicle,” the charges state, all “while yelling that he was ‘the master of the universe.'”

Diaz only stopped when the medical crew pulled up beside him in their ambulance.

“Officers arriving on scene observed Diaz running in and out of traffic, attempting to open car doors and hitting vehicle windows. Officers ordered Diaz to stop and get on the ground. Diaz puffed out his chest and continued to ignore commands. A taser was deployed, causing Diaz to fall,” according to the charges.

But Diaz still disobeyed the commands of officers, and a Taser was used a second time.

After he was taken into custody, Diaz allegedly admitted that he “suffers from hallucinations” when using drugs, and on that night, “believed he was observing the ‘Rapture’ and that he was being chased by the ‘sun,'” according to charging documents.