Crime & Safety

High-Speed CHP Pursuit Ends in Murrieta Crash, Arrests

The pursuit that started just before 8:30 p.m. Thursday on southbound Interstate 215 in Murrieta led CHP along Murrieta Hot Springs Road west to Jefferson Avenue.

A high-speed pursuit that began on Interstate 215 ended with a crash on Jefferson Avenue Thursday night before the suspects were taken into custody.

Just before 8:30 p.m., California Highway Patrol attempted to pull over a black Mercedes sedan that was allegedly being driven at about 100 mph on southbound I-215 just north of Los Alamos Road, according to CHP Officer J. Hackett.

“The vehicle failed to yield and a pursuit was initiated,” Hackett said.

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The driver of the Mercedes exited the freeway at Murrieta Hot Springs Road and turned right, continuing west until the car crashed into a fence while trying to make a right turn onto Jefferson Avenue, Hackett told a Patch reporter on scene.

The male driver of the car allegedly ran from the crash site.

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Through the assistance of Murrieta police K-9 officers and a Riverside County sheriff’s helicopter crew, he was located hiding in a nearby field, Hackett said.

At about 9:28 p.m., Murrieta police radio communications indicated a man had been taken into custody near Adams Avenue and Hawthorn Street, close to Meadowlark Apartments.

Hackett said the driver would be taken to a local hospital before being jailed on suspicion of felony evasion and drug-related offenses.

A woman passenger in the car stayed at the scene, where she was taken into custody without incident, according to Murrieta police Sgt. Matt Henry.

The sergeant said Murrieta police got CHP's call for assistance at 8:31 p.m.

A Patch reader reported seeing several police cars at the intersection of Murrieta Hot Springs and Jefferson at about 9 p.m.

Information about the suspects’ identities was not provided.

A tow truck arrived to haul off the Mercedes.

—Joe Fanaselle contributed to this report.


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