A Russian national accused of hitting a Hollywood police officer while driving over 100 miles per hour was arrested on Wednesday, according to police.
Artiom Echiusciu, 20, who was living in the U.S. illegally, was taken into custody in Chicago by the U.S. Marshals, Hollywood Police said in a news release. He is charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury, reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, reckless driving causing property damage, driving while license suspended, leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, and failure to register a motor vehicle.
On May 20, the police officer was driving north on North Ocean Drive near Hollywood Boulevard when Echiusciu, who was speeding, crossed the center median and hit the officer’s patrol car, according to the release. He then ran away on foot.
The officer, who was not identified, was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release.
Meanwhile, Echiusciu took a Lyft to get away from the area before traveling to Chicago, the release said.
Detectives, working with federal law enforcement, identified Echiusciu as the suspect and located him in Chicago before the U.S. Marshal’s Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested him Wednesday.
Hollywood detectives are now working to extradite Echiusciu to Broward.