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Carjacker under influence of meth

Roman Gokhman, Sun news service

When he carjacked a taxi and led police on a chase through downtown Truckee earlier this year, Curtiss B. Williams was under the influence of methamphetamine and amphetamines.

On July 17, just days after pleading no contest to being under the influence of methamphetamine, Williams forced Fast Taxi driver Vince Haughey out of his company’s minivan at about 3 a.m. in Nevada City. Haughey said Williams threatened him with a syringe.

After reaching Truckee, Williams, 43, crashed when the California Highway Patrol used a “spike strip” to flatten his tires. He then apparently jumped or fell to his death off an Interstate 80 bridge over the Truckee River.



According to a Nevada County Sheriff’s Office report, Williams had 792 nanograms per milliliter of methamphetamine and 105 nanograms per milliliter of amphetamines in his system at the time of his death.

The two stimulant drug types are extremely similar, according to a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Web site.



Court records and police reports showed Williams had a recent history of both methamphetamine use and suicidal behavior.

Williams previously admitted to abusing meth.

An autopsy concluded Williams died of blunt-force trauma after falling 66 feet into the rocky ravine.


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