What started as a routine traffic stop in Napa just after midnight turned into a deadly pursuit that ended in a fiery crash outside Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield today, leaving two people dead in the base’s visitor parking lot.
How the chase ended
According to the Napa County sheriff’s office, deputies pulled over a vehicle on Highway 12 just east of Highway 29 shortly after midnight when the driver suddenly took off, triggering a multi-agency chase. The pursuit continued to Travis Air Force Base, where the fleeing car slammed into the visitor parking lot area and erupted in flames. Deputies tried to put out the fire with handheld extinguishers but could not get it under control. Base fire crews later arrived and pronounced the driver and a passenger dead at the scene, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. Authorities have not yet released the victims’ names.
Gate closure and response
The crash shut down the base’s main gate Tuesday morning while officials processed the scene, and Fairfield police urged drivers to use alternate entrances. Fairfield police spokesman Jeremy Profitt told KTVU the collision happened around 12:30 a.m. Officials have not released further information about what prompted the pursuit or any potential charges, according to KTVU.
Investigation underway
Investigators from Napa County and Fairfield are now piecing together the initial stop, the subsequent chase, and the chain of events that led to the deadly fire. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, authorities have not said whether either of the victims was affiliated with Travis Air Force Base or was visiting the installation, and the investigation remains active.
