HILO — A preliminary hearing has been delayed for a Hilo man accused of ramming a police officer's car with his minivan and twice attempting to run over a federal agent.

Meanwhile, police are preparing additional felony drug charges against 47-year-old Valentin Robles Solis.

Yesterday afternoon in Hilo District Court, Judge Harry Freitas rescheduled the hearing for 1:30 p.m. tomorrow for Solis, who is charged with attempted murder of a police officer, two counts of terroristic threatening, reckless driving and resisting an order to stop.

Deputy Public Defender Melody Parker, substituting for colleague Michael Ebesugawa, Solis' attorney of record, said that a Spanish interpreter was unavailable for Solis, a Mexican national. She noted that English was not Solis' first language.

"Is your client waiving his right to a preliminary hearing within 48 hours (of his initial court appearance)?" Freitas inquired.

Parker replied that he was not, but said that there were some words and phrases in English that Solis did not understand. She said she tried to contact three court-approved Spanish interpreters.

"I was told that one is ... in Kona, one is off-island and the other is sick," she said.

Deputy Prosecutor Jason Skier said the state was prepared for an immediate hearing.

"Mr. Solis seemed to have no problem giving a statement to police in English during interrogation," Skier noted. "I believe this is merely a stalling tactic by the defense."

Replied Parker: "If we wanted to stall, we would just ask for a continuance."

Solis, who appeared in court in an orange prison jumpsuit with handcuffs and ankle shackles, allegedly led police and federal agents on a high-speed pursuit early the evening of April 8, starting in Prince Kuhio Plaza. Plainclothes federal agent Brian Hunt and his partner approached Solis' 2000 Ford Windstar minivan on what police Lt. Mitch Kanehailua of Criminal Investigation Section acknowledged was part of an ongoing narcotics investigation.

According to court documents, Solis attempted to flee and twice tried to run over Hunt during the chase. Police pursued Solis through the Panaewa Houselots area and toward Volcano on Highway 11. Solis allegedly changed lanes near Stainback Highway to position his van behind a Ford Mustang driven by patrol Officer Clarence Davies. He reportedly rammed Davies' vehicle, which had blue lights on and siren blaring.

"Officer Davies' car was totaled," Kanehailua said. "It was lucky that he got hit in the middle of his rear bumper. He was able to maintain control of the car. The steering wheel was bent during the collision."

Kanehailua estimated that the rear-end collision happened at 75 to 90 miles an hour. He said that Davies suffered minor neck and back injuries. Davies was treated at Hilo Medical Center and released.

Police claim that after Solis rammed Davies' car, he then made contact with a second vehicle, clipped a guardrail, careened left across two lanes of traffic and struck some trees in the median strip near Macadamia Road, ending the pursuit.

Neither Solis nor the occupants of the second car hit were injured. A Volcano-bound lane of Highway 11 was closed and traffic was backed up for several hours as police gathered evidence.

When lodging the first set of charges Friday, police were investigating a charge of first-degree possession of a dangerous drug. Police yesterday revealed that they are also preparing four additional counts of the same charge, plus first-degree methamphetamine trafficking and five drug paraphernalia charges. Kanehailua declined to release details.

"I think everything will probably happen after he gets the hearing on (the original) charges, because he may be going up on federal charges," Kanehailua said.

Police Detectives Reed Mahuna and Rio Amon-Wilkins interrogated Solis in English after he was arrested Wednesday night.

"We had no communication problems at all," Kanehailua said.

Solis is in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center in lieu of $240,000 bail.