An SUV driver who intentionally rammed three vehicles on Interstate 90 was caught by the Mower County Sheriff’s Office last weekend.

Kenneth Douglas Martinez, 44, who has a Florida license but no known address, was charged with three counts of assault, reckless driving and speeding.

According to the criminal complaint, Martinez, who was driving a Honda SUV eastbound on I-90, hit a semi that was merging onto the freeway in Freeborn County around 12:30 p.m. Nov. 16. Martinez intentionally switched to the merging lane, and the semi went into a roadside ditch trying to avoid the crash.

The SUV stopped north of Albert Lea, with a flat right-front tire. A passerby driver witnessed that Martinez was throwing something out of the vehicle and set the object on fire. Further, Martinez was pouring flammable liquid on the fire. When the passerby offered assistance, Martinez attempted to run her over. The SUV struck the helper’s car, and drove away.

Martinez then sped up, chasing another passing car near the Mower County border and hit the rear bumper. His speed was near 100 miles per hour.

The sheriff’s offices of Freeborn and Mower counties and the State Patrol dispatched officers to catch the SUV. A Mower County deputy found the vehicle pulled over on the roadside near the Days Inn in Austin.

Martinez was arrested near the hotel where he was found with two containers of water. He was trying to rent a room. He claimed that he had not been driving the vehicle, but had been walking all day and was tired.