Two Sacramento men were killed in a pursuit involving Napa County sheriff’s deputies that ended in a fiery crash at Travis Air Force Base near Fairfield in neighboring Solano County, authorities said Wednesday.
The chase ended just after 12:15 a.m. Tuesday when the fleeing car crashed into a visitor parking lot and caught fire at the military base, killing the driver and his passenger, according to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office.
Solano County authorities identified the men Wednesday as John Newton, 28, and Tavion Knox, 30, both of Sacramento.
Napa deputies stopped the vehicle shortly after midnight on Highway 12 just east of Highway 29 in Napa County. The driver fled the traffic stop, leading deputies on a pursuit across the Napa County line into Solano County. The chase ended less than 15 minutes later with the fiery crash at the base, officials said.
Deputies tried to extinguish the fire but could not contain the flames. Travis Air Force Base fire crews knocked down the fire, but it was too late for the men inside. The two were pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
Solano County Major Crimes detectives are investigating the incident, Napa County authorities said.
This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 3:16 PM.
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The Sacramento Bee
Darrell Smith is a local reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He joined The Bee in 2006 and previously worked at newspapers in Palm Springs, Colorado Springs and Marysville. Smith was born and raised at Beale Air Force Base and lives in Elk Grove.