An alleged drug smuggler who struck a Border Patrol vehicle and injured an agent has been taken into custody after a brief struggle.

A news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection indicates agents noticed the suspect, identified only as an illegal immigrant, pull to the side of Highway 85 near Gila Bend on the afternoon of August 26.

The driver sped off into the opposite direction heading southbound when agents approached his truck. Agents say they briefly pursued him but had to terminate it because of the vehicle’s excessive speed.

Courtesy: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

The news release indicates that as another border agent attempted to find the driver on foot, the suspect’s vehicle emerged from a blind spot in the road and rammed the agent’s Border Patrol vehicle and injured the agent’s leg before speeding off.

The suspect eventually abandoned the truck and fled the scene on foot. He climbed a fence into private property, where border agents were able to arrest him.

According to the media release, the suspect told Border Patrol agents he has HIV and tuberculosis after suffering abrasions during their struggle to arrest him. He was taken to a Phoenix hospital for treatment and will be transported to the Ajo Station for processing and prosecution.

Courtesy: U.S. Customs and Border Protection