SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A woman suspected of stealing a trailer was taken into custody following a wild pursuit that ended in a crash on Interstate 15 in Mira Mesa Tuesday morning.
San Diego police said they received a call at around 7:30 a.m. regarding a woman trying to steal a trailer in the 7500 block of Balboa Avenue. SDPD stated officers arrived on scene and found the vehicle near where the call location. According to police, the officer spoke with the woman and placed a stop stick behind one of the rear tires. A pursuit ensued after the driver fled from officers.
ABC 10News was told by police that the woman drove off in a Toyota 4Runner SUV with the trailer attached to it.
On northbound I-15, police said, “it lost its rear tire. As it continued on the I-15, the driver lost control of the vehicle, stopped, and the vehicle appeared disabled in the middle lanes of the freeway.”
San Diego PD stated police vehicles were positioned in front of and behind the vehicle out of caution. As officers tried to speak with the woman to calm things down, the driver didn’t engage in conversation with officers.
“After an hour of attempted negotiation, officers deployed pepper balls into the vehicle. The driver was able to get the vehicle to move and pushed the rear patrol car back several yards,” the San Diego Police Department said in a press release on Tuesday.
Caltrans
Cal Trans cameras in the area captured the driver taking off in grassy area near the Miramar Way exit on I-15 North. According to police, she near hit an 82-year-old man.
The driver was also seen on Cal Trans cameras traveling on Miramar Way heading in the director on the MCAS Miramar East Gate, turn around and then proceeded to drive the wrong way along the exit and onto the I-15 South.
Police also said, “Just prior to the 163 South, she did a U-turn on the freeway to head northbound on the I-15 against the oncoming traffic. Due to the heightened danger of a collision, officers did not pursue the vehicle going the wrong way on the freeway.”
KGTV
The department said a police helicopter followed the suspect’s vehicle until it lost the trailer while traveling on I-15. The vehicle later stalled between Carrol Canyon Road and Mira Mesa Boulevard.
The woman then ran out of her vehicle with her dog and tried to carjack other vehicles on the freeway, according to police. She was later taken into custody on the freeway as traffic was slowed down.
Police said that the woman was taken to the hospital for minor injuries. After she’s released from the hospital, SDPD said “the suspect will be booked for assault with a deadly weapon, attempted carjacking, felony evading, multiple counts of hit and run, and vandalism on several police vehicles.”
KGTV