A Chimayó man damaged five cars Sunday afternoon in a high-speed escapade through the Wal-Mart parking lot, according to Española Police.
Witnesses told Española Police they had first seen Raphael Lapcevic, 20, driving erratically near the Taco Bell and nearly crashing over an embankment, Española Police Sgt. Richard Gallegos said.
Minutes later Lapcevic struck a moving vehicle in front of the Giant gas station and sent it into a spin, Gallegos said.
“I was kind of in the middle of the parking lot and he came out of nowhere and T-boned me,” the driver of that vehicle, Jessica Casados, 21, of Albuquerque, said.
Lapcevic then continued into a parking aisle, where he damaged three parked vehicles in a chain reaction of collisions before coming to a stop, Gallegos said.
“I’ll tell you one thing — you know how busy that parking lot is — thank God he didn’t hit any pedestrians and there were no kids around,” Gallegos said.
Gallegos said he did not believe Lapcevic’s explanation of the accident.
“When interviewed, he was pretty shaken up, but he seemed OK,” Gallegos said. “He said his gas pedal had gotten stuck. But that didn’t make sense to me. He could’ve stopped after hitting that first vehicle and instead he kept on going at an incredibly high speed.”
No one was seriously injured during the incident.
A woman who answered the phone at Lapcevic’s home but would not identify herself declined to comment on his behalf. Lapcevic did not return a message left at his home.
Lapcevic had a small plastic container of marijuana in a pocket at the time of the incident, Gallegos said.
Police arrested Lapcevic for reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and possession of marijuana. He was taken to the Española Hospital for a blood test, then booked at the Española Jail, Gallegos said. Lapcevic could face additional charges if blood tests indicate he was intoxicated, Gallegos said.
Lapcevic bonded out of jail Sunday, Gallegos said. Jail staff would not verify who paid Lapcevic’s bond or the bond amount. No charges had been filed as of Tuesday morning against Lapcevic in Rio Arriba County Magistrate Court.