- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Woman arrested following early Thursday morning high speed chase
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A Lakeport woman led law enforcement on a lengthy vehicle pursuit early Thursday morning, hitting two spike strips before finally stopping her car near Clearlake Oaks.
The 50-year-old woman attempted to evade police for close to 40 minutes before pulling her car over and being taken into custody shortly before 2 a.m., according to radio traffic.
The pursuit began shortly after 1:20 a.m. in the area of north Lakeport, based on scanner reports.
Sheriff's deputies indicated that they believed the woman was drunk, and was weaving in and out of both lanes of traffic.
The pursuit crossed the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, went through the roundabout and Nice, and between Nice and Lucerne reached speeds of about 90 miles per hour, according to radio reports.
Sheriff's deputies placed a spike strip just west of Glenhaven Drive that the car hit, but it continued on, with the driver traveling all over the road, causing deputies to request that the California Highway Patrol close the highway near Clearlake Oaks to protect other drivers.
The woman continued driving at about 20 to 30 miles per hour, with all of her tires – except for her left rear tire – flat, reports indicated.
The CHP set up another spike strip near Keys Boulevard in Clearlake Oaks. After the car continued eastbound, deputies asked over the air if CHP would use the “pursuit intervention technique” or “PIT maneuver” to bump the vehicle and spin it out of control, but CHP declined.
Authorities reported that the car, now only on rims, slowed to between 5 and 10 miles per hour as it traveled uphill outside of Clearlake Oaks.
The chase finally ended at approximately 1:56 a.m. at the “Y” intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 53, scanner traffic indicated.
The deputies took the woman into custody, with a Clearlake Police Department K9 that had been requested on hand to assist. The roadway was reopened a short time later, based on radio reports.
Medics were requested to come to the scene shortly after 2 a.m., but it was not clear why they were summoned.
Additional details – including confirmation of the suspect's name – will be posted as they become available.
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