A firefighter stands next to a burning car on the Capital City Freeway near the Auburn Boulevard on-ramp in Arden Arcade on Monday, April 27, 2026. The vehicle caught fire after a California Highway Patrol pursuit of a juvenile driver who allegedly led officers on a high-speed chase.
CHP East Sacramento
A minor was in juvenile custody Monday after a lengthy California Highway Patrol pursuit ended with the suspect’s car in flames and the driver’s arrest near the Capital City Freeway in Arden Arcade, officials said.
The driver ran a red light and fled early Monday when a CHP officer attempted a traffic stop, sparking a high-speed chase through North Sacramento and onto Interstate 80, also known as the Capital City Freeway. The driver traveled the wrong way multiple times during the pursuit, according to a CHP East Sacramento office Facebook post.
Officers said the car, a Ford Fusion Energi electric sedan, crashed into a raised concrete curb near the Bell Street off-ramp at speeds exceeding 100 mph, causing it to catch fire.
The juvenile managed to drive the flaming car back onto the freeway, driving again the wrong direction before the car gave out near the Auburn Boulevard on-ramp. The driver fled before the vehicle was fully engulfed and was later found hiding behind a vehicle at a Porsche dealership.
CHP officials said the minor was booked into Sacramento County juvenile detention and faced multiple felony charges related to the incident.
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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.