In the pre-dawn quiet of Copperopolis, a high-speed chase led to the arrest of a Sonora man, a social media post from the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office reported. On August 7, around 2:30 a.m., what began as a deputy's routine attempt at pulling over a speeding black GMC pickup truck escalated into a pursuit down O’Byrnes Ferry Road.
The vehicle, noted for its non-functioning license plate lamp, ignored the stop and charged through the darkened roads, careening over the double yellow lines and endangering untold lives. As per the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office's account, the driver even tried to disappear into the night by switching off the pickup's headlights—a futile attempt at evasion.
The chase which thundered over O’Byrnes Ferry Bridge and zipped past red lights, finally concluded near Highway 108 and Mountain Pass Road. Joseph James Koval, a 20-year-old from Sonora, was the one behind the wheel, according to the sheriff's office statement. His flight from justice ended with a high-risk stop and his subsequent booking at the Calaveras County Jail, alongside charges stacking up from felonies to infractions.
Joining the Calaveras deputies, the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol officers also arrived at the scene to assist with the situation. Koval now faces an array of charges, including two felony counts: Evading a Peace Officer with Wanton Disregard for Safety and Evading a Peace Officer as a Wrong Way Driver. Two passengers, also from Sonora, were detained, the press release further detailed.
