A high-risk stop attempt in an Antioch parking lot spiraled into a dangerous wrong-way chase across Highway 4 on Saturday evening, ending with a crashed Honda Civic, a passenger who fled on foot near Bay Point, and two people under arrest. The driver reportedly reversed the car and narrowly missed a deputy before speeding off, kicking off a pursuit that twice sent the vehicle barreling into oncoming freeway traffic.
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office, deputies with the agency's specialized J-Team patrol unit attempted the stop on a Honda Civic around 6:01 pm Saturday in Antioch, with help from the sheriff's STARR 3 helicopter. The J-Team is a specialized patrol unit, and deputies had help from the sheriff's STARR 3 helicopter, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. Deputies say the passenger-seat occupant was wanted on a Post-Release Community Supervision violation along with multiple felony warrants.
Once the driver sped out of the lot, the chase moved through Antioch surface streets and onto Highway 4, per the sheriff's office. The Honda then went eastbound in the westbound lanes near Loveridge Road, prompting deputies to break off the ground pursuit, the sheriff's office said.
Wrong-Way Swerves Trigger Repeated Pursuit Terminations
The Civic corrected course and continued westbound on Highway 4 before exiting at Bailey Road in Bay Point, the sheriff's office reported. The sheriff's office said California Highway Patrol officers deployed spike strips at Willow Pass Road and Alves Road.
Despite the spikes, the Honda entered eastbound Highway 4 going westbound on the shoulder near San Marco Boulevard, forcing deputies to terminate the pursuit a second time, the sheriff's office said. While driving the wrong way on the shoulder, the Civic collided with a parked sheriff's office vehicle, and the passenger-seat suspect fled on foot before deputies caught up and apprehended him. The Honda then struck another vehicle on Highway 4 while still speeding in the wrong direction, according to the same account.
Driver Arrested After Hospitalization, Booking Still Pending
The driver was arrested following the final collision and taken to a hospital for injuries sustained in the crash, the sheriff's office said. The passenger-seat suspect and the civilian driver whose vehicle was struck were both transported to a hospital as a precaution. Both suspects are expected to be booked later at the Martinez Detention Facility on multiple felony charges, though the sheriff's office has not yet identified either one.
The Martinez Detention Facility, at 901 Court Street, serves as the county's primary maximum-security intake jail. The passenger was reportedly wanted on a PRCS violation.
A Familiar and Dangerous Stretch of Freeway
Saturday's chase played out on Highway 4 near Loveridge Road and Bailey Road, with the route passing through Antioch and Bay Point. Wrong-way driving along that freeway poses acute risks during evening hours, when commuter traffic is still heavy.
A separate regional pursuit also involved a driver traveling the wrong way. During Saturday's chase, CHP deployed spike strips, and the sheriff's STARR 3 helicopter assisted deputies.
Both suspects were expected to be booked on multiple felony charges after the pursuit. Sheriff’s deputies and CHP officers both took part in the chase.
