A 24-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after a thrilling high-speed chase that started in Sonoma County and ended near the Los Altos Hills, California Highway Patrol officers said.
A CHP spokesperson said the pursuit started in Vacaville, then continued south on I-680 through Contra Costa and Alameda counties.
Ramon Bernal, a resident of Davis, was arrested on suspicion of felony evasion and driving under the influence of drugs, police said. He was transported to Stanford Medical Center for evaluation and medical clearance.
CHP said officers were trying to pull over a Nissan utility vehicle after they received a "hit" on its license plate. The suspect refused to stop and led officers on a pursuit that topped 100 miles per hour.
At one point during the chase, the vehicle's front left tire blew out after running over a spike strip, but the suspect kept driving. The pursuit ended on NB I-280 near Magdalena Avenue after the SUV crashed and flipped over a little after 3 p.m. Chopper footage captured smoke coming out of the vehicle.
"It was the craziest thing I've ever seen — so violent," said Robin Domnie, who was walking on an overpass when she saw the crash unfold right below her. "The whole thing happened at once, the car on fire and the whole bit. Pretty scary."
Bernal got out of the vehicle once it came to a stop and appeared to be observing the crash scene. CHP officers shouted at him to get down on the ground. Bernal was not carrying a weapon and did not resist arrest, CHP said.
Terry McSweeney contributed to this report.
