UPDATED: Police ID Suspect, Victim in Richland Police Chase, Crash

Police have identified the driver in a high-speed police chase that ended in a crash along Route 8 in Richland Township Monday night, sending one man to the hospital in serious condition. 

Northern Regional Police Chief Bob Amann said police from Middlesex, Adams Township and Mars began pursuing Jose Rios, 41, of Sand Bernardino, Calif. at about 7:30 p.m. He did not know why officers began the chase.

The pursuit originated on Route 228 before moving on to William Flynn Highway, Amann said.

After heading south on Route 8, Rios kept going after striking two cars near Grandview Crossing. Those cars had minor damage, the chief said. The drivers were uninjured.

Rios then collided with a third vehicle in front of the Northtowne Square shopping center.

Amann said Matthew Conte, 25, of Richland, was stopped at a traffic light while waiting to make a right turn when Rios plowed into him. The impact wrapped the car Conte was driving around a nearby pole.

Conte was flown by medical helicopter to a hospital in Pittsburgh in serious condition, the chief said.

Rios had minor injuries from the crash. He was taken into custody by Middlesex Police.

Rios was arraigned Tuesday morning before District Judge Timothy Shaffer in Slippery Rock. 

He is charged with fleeing or attempting to elude officers, reckless driving, aggravated assault and two counts of damaging attended vehicles.  

He is scheduled to go before District Judge Sue Haggerty in Saxonburg at 9 a.m. June 26 for a preliminary hearing. 

The southbound lanes of Route 8 were shut down for several hours Monday as police conducted an investigation into the crash. The highway reopened around midnight, Amann said.

Northern Regional Police will continue to investigate the crash. Amann said the speed Rios was driving is unknown at this time, but that it was excessive.

“He was traveling at a high speed when he impacted with our victim’s vehicle,” he said.

Check back with Pine-Richland Patch for updates on this story.