ST PAUL, Minnesota — Joana Solis-Moreno was with her mom and stepdad, driving to their home in St. Paul after work, when they saw a black truck coming straight at them.
"We were in shock. At first we were like, what do we do?" Solis-Moreno recalled.
The family was at a stoplight when Jeffrey Groves, 51, came toward them—driving the wrong way on Highway 36. At first, the family thought it might've been because of the icy roads. But then they saw the police lights.
Groves took police on a high-speed chase on Wednesday afternoon that started in Newport. Police attempted to arrest Groves during a traffic stop but he "fled in his vehicle," according to the complaint.
Authorities say Groves was wanted for kidnapping and sexual assault. Thursday afternoon, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office charged him with criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping and burglary.
The chase ended in a crash near Hudson, Wis. but before then, Solis-Moreno and her family were right in the middle of it.
"In that moment, we thought that it was the end of our life," said Demetria Sanchez-Moreno, Solis-Moreno's mom.
"My mom, she got really, really scared and she was praying to the Lord that nothing happened to us because she really got really nervous... she started crying really bad," Solis-Moreno said.
Jose Sanchez, who was driving the family's truck, was squished between two vehicles but able to move slightly over.
They estimate Groves was going 70 miles per hour when he drove the wrong way between their vehicle and another to their left.
While Groves sideswiped their truck, it left only a scratch.
Sanchez-Moreno said it could have ended differently if her husband had not moved over.
"I thank God for giving us another chance, me and my family," she said.
The Washington County Attorney's Office told KARE 11 they've charged Groves with fleeing a police officer and damage to property.