A high-speed pursuit that started on U.S. 101 in Santa Rosa ended upside down in a Kenwood vineyard yesterday, with the driver climbing out of an overturned SUV and giving up with his hands in the air, according to CBS Bay Area. Overhead video showed the SUV rolling in the vines, then the lone occupant stepping out and surrendering to waiting deputies.
The chase began when the California Highway Patrol tried to pull over an SUV on Highway 101. The driver briefly pulled to the side at the College Avenue onramp, then hit the gas instead of calling it a night, as the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office helicopter followed from above, CBS Bay Area reported. Helicopter footage showed the SUV heading north on 101, cutting across several surface streets, and pausing near Brush Creek Road and Fountaingrove Parkway before jumping onto Highway 12.
How the pursuit ended
The sheriff's office said the SUV pushed past 90 miles per hour on Highway 12 before the driver lost control in the Kenwood hills and rolled into a vineyard. “He continued driving in an extremely reckless manner, causing multiple traffic collisions and posing a serious danger to the public,” the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said in a post. The crash video shows the SUV on its roof, the driver crawling out, then surrendering to deputies.
Officials and next steps
Deputies credited air support and interagency coordination with bringing the pursuit to a close and said getting the SUV stopped was critical for public safety. They did not release the driver's name or list any charges in the initial statement, as reported by CBS Bay Area.
