On April 30th at approximately 8:50 p.m., Officer Hibbitts was patrolling the 1400 block of Airport Avenue when he saw Eugene Montaque, who is wanted out of Westmoreland County on a felony abduction warrant, driving a minivan. When Officer Hibbitts activated his emergency equipment to conduct a traffic stop, Montaque drove his vehicle across the front yard of several residences and collided with an occupied Ford Fiesta at the intersection of Airport Avenue and Coakley Street. Montaque continued fleeing and a pursuit ensued through Mayfield and down Tidewater Trail towards Spotsylvania County. During the pursuit, Montaque struck a second occupied vehicle near Ruffins Pond. Officer Hibbitts ended the pursuit at the intersection of Tidewater Trail and Route 17 in Spotsylvania County when the suspect vehicle was no longer in sight. Fortunately, none of the victims struck by Montaque’s vehicle suffered injuries. Officer Hibbitts obtained the following warrants on Montaque:
- One class 5 felony warrant for hit and run to an attended vehicle with > $1,000 in damage (VA code 46.2-894)
- One class 6 felony warrant for eluding with endangerment (VA code 46.2-817b)
- One class 1 misdemeanor warrant for driving revoked (VA code 46.2-301)
- One class 1 misdemeanor warrant for reckless driving (VA code 46.2-852)
- One traffic summons for operating a vehicle with fictitious tags (VA code 46.2-613)
- Three traffic summons for failure to obey a highway sign-stop signs (VA code 46.2-830)
Eugene Montaque is still at large. Due to his reckless behavior, the Fredericksburg Police
Department asks anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact their local law enforcement agency immediately or call 540-373-3122. To make an anonymous tip, send a text to “847-411” and text “FPDtip” followed by your tip. Or, download the free FPD Tip app available for Android and iPhones. To download the app, search “FPD Tip” in the Google or iTunes App Store.