Police seek public help to find man they say drove through Pride barricade

Authorities this week asked the public for help to locate a man accused of disregarding barriers at the Pride festival last weekend, then slamming his van into a parked car — with a pregnant woman inside — as he fled.

After the incident near Balboa Park, police chased the driver to La Mesa, but lost him when he ditched the black Honda Odyssey van and took off running.

San Diego Crime Stoppers, working with San Diego police, released photos of the suspect, identified as 40-year-old Matthew John Haney.

Authorities say Haney was behind the wheel when the black van plowed through a barricade at Upas Street and Sixth Avenue at about 10:30 p.m. July 14.

A traffic control officer had to scramble out of the way, the van coming within a few feet of him.

As the driver tried to get away, the van collided with a parked vehicle. A 29-year-old pregnant woman inside the car suffered a minor leg injury, police said.

With police chasing the van, the driver made his way from downtown onto Interstate 5 then east on state Route 94.

The driver got off on Lemon Avenue and drove on surface streets to La Mesa, as pursuers — including a police helicopter — followed.

The car chase ended not long after the Odyssey smacked into a police car, and the driver ditched it in the parking lot of the La Mesa Arts Academy.

He disappeared.

Authorities described Haney as a 40-year-old white man, about 6 feet tall and weighing about 160 pounds, with blond hair and brown eyes.

Tipsters with information on his whereabouts are asked to call the San Diego Police Department’s Western Division at (619) 692-4834.

Anonymous tips can be left by calling the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest.

To learn how to send texts online or through mobile apps, go to the Crime Stoppers website at sdcrimestoppers.org.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT