Woman to appear in unrelated reckless driving case

A Carson City woman who allegedly led Douglas County sheriff's deputies on a high-speed chase is expected to appear in Tahoe Justice Court on an unrelated reckless driving charge Tuesday.

Jennifer Taylor-Blocchi, 40, was arrested Tuesday night at Washoe Medical Center on a Tahoe warrant after she was treated for injuries sustained earlier in an accident that capped off a 6-minute chase through Carson Valley on Highway 395.

According to Sgt. Lance Modispacher of the Douglas County Sheriff's Department, a deputy was southbound on Highway 395 at Stockyard Road when he saw two cars involved in a minor accident pulled over on the northbound side of Highway 395.

When the officer made contact with the driver of the other vehicle, Taylor-Blocchi allegedly got into her car and left the accident scene. The other driver said Taylor-Blocchi appeared to be drunk, Modispacher said.

He said deputies in vehicles tried to slow Taylor-Blocchi's flight by surrounding her. As she attempted to drive around the deputies, the front of her vehicle collided with the driver's door of a police car, which sent her car careening across the lanes into the shoulder, where it tipped onto its driver's-side door, Modispacher said.

Taylor-Blocchi was transported by Care Flight helicopter to Washoe Medical Center, where she was treated for minor injuries and then arrested on the unrelated Tahoe warrant by Washoe County deputies.

Modispacher said the Tahoe warrant was issued Feb. 7 because Taylor-Blocchi allegedly failed to appear on a April reckless-driving charge.

"She was arrested three times in the last year for warrants all related to drinking and driving," Modispacher said.

Taylor-Blocchi could face charges of assault with a deadly weapon and leaving the scene of an accident stemming from Tuesday's incident.