mjackson@escalontimes.com
A chase that lasted more than 90 minutes on Monday night, April 20, left a passenger injured, the driver on the run and a CHP vehicle smashed into an almond tree.
"The chase started southbound 99 at Arch Road, it was a speeding vehicle and it failed to yield to the officer," explained Stockton CHP Public Information Officer Angel Arceo. "It became a pursuit, mostly in orchards, with several CHP units involved, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office involved, it lasted an hour and 37 minutes."
Arceo said the driver of a full-sized Chevy Silverado pick up truck took officers on a high speed pursuit that covered several miles in the rural orchards of French Camp, Ripon and Escalon.
"He was going through the orchards, we had our CHP helicopter up, our fixed wing airplane up, it finally ended at River and Brennan, west of the railroad tracks there, the truck struck a patrol vehicle and the Silverado overturned toward the river."
The truck came to rest on the riverbank and did not go into the water. The driver - who Arceo described as a parolee at large - fled the scene and at press time on Tuesday had not been apprehended. Authorities were still searching for him. His passenger, identified as Margaret Spurgeon, 43, of Manteca, was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries and then booked at San Joaquin County Jail.
"The CHP vehicle hit a power pole and an almond tree," Arceo said of the Silverado slamming into the patrol unit. "The officer had minor injuries."
The officer was also taken to a hospital as a precaution.
"I was in the pursuit also," noted Arceo. "We didn't clear the scene until about 11:30 p.m. "It just went through all the orchards and the driver is still at large."
A chase that lasted more than 90 minutes on Monday night, April 20, left a passenger injured, the driver on the run and a CHP vehicle smashed into an almond tree.
"The chase started southbound 99 at Arch Road, it was a speeding vehicle and it failed to yield to the officer," explained Stockton CHP Public Information Officer Angel Arceo. "It became a pursuit, mostly in orchards, with several CHP units involved, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office involved, it lasted an hour and 37 minutes."
Arceo said the driver of a full-sized Chevy Silverado pick up truck took officers on a high speed pursuit that covered several miles in the rural orchards of French Camp, Ripon and Escalon.
"He was going through the orchards, we had our CHP helicopter up, our fixed wing airplane up, it finally ended at River and Brennan, west of the railroad tracks there, the truck struck a patrol vehicle and the Silverado overturned toward the river."
The truck came to rest on the riverbank and did not go into the water. The driver - who Arceo described as a parolee at large - fled the scene and at press time on Tuesday had not been apprehended. Authorities were still searching for him. His passenger, identified as Margaret Spurgeon, 43, of Manteca, was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries and then booked at San Joaquin County Jail.
"The CHP vehicle hit a power pole and an almond tree," Arceo said of the Silverado slamming into the patrol unit. "The officer had minor injuries."
The officer was also taken to a hospital as a precaution.
"I was in the pursuit also," noted Arceo. "We didn't clear the scene until about 11:30 p.m. "It just went through all the orchards and the driver is still at large."
