MANATEE -- "A known gang member" was arrested after the driver of the stolen car he was riding in fled a deputy trying to make a traffic stop and crashed into a tree, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

The deputy spotted the car, which had been reported stolen, about 1:30 a.m. at the intersection of 53rd Avenue East and 15th Street East, according to a news release.

The driver fled south on 15th Street East, the ensuing chase reaching speeds of 70 mph. The pursuit ended when the driver crashed into a tree at the intersection of 15th Street East and Whitfield Avenue.

The driver bailed and was not located. But the passenger, Juan R. Santos-Reyes, 18, was arrested, according to the sheriff's office.

Santos-Reyes was charged with motor vehicle theft, and was in the Manatee County jail on $7,500 bond.