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Woman Leads Officers on 175-Mile, 3-County Chase

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Times Staff Writer

A 23-year-old woman, who later told officers she “just wanted to get away from San Pedro,” led officers on a 175-mile chase through three counties before it ended early Tuesday morning near Campo in San Diego County.

California Highway Patrol officers said the pursuit reached speeds of 110 to 115 m.p.h. At one point, as the fleeing car passed through San Juan Capistrano, it sideswiped a pickup truck, slightly injuring its driver.

Heidi Ann Turkolu of San Pedro was finally stopped by a road block thrown up by Border Patrol agents on State Route 94 near Campo. She was taken to the County Jail at Las Colinas on charges of reckless driving, evading officers, resisting arrest and felony hit and run.

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CHP spokesman Mark Lunn said the chase started at 11:36 p.m. Monday when officers clocked Turkolu’s 1975 Oldsmobile at about 90 m.p.h. on the San Diego Freeway near Avalon Boulevard in South Los Angeles.

When her car reached Orange County, CHP units from Westminster took over, eventually relinquishing to San Juan Capistrano units.

Another CHP information officer, Ken Daily, said Sgt. Bob Walker and Officer Jim Guysiwere following the suspect at more than 100 m.p.h. on the San Diego Freeway near Avery Parkway when she momentarily lost control and fish-tailed, hitting a pickup truck driven by Cheryl Lee Christian, 42, of San Clemente. Christian complained of minor injuries but was not hospitalized.

Finally, San Diego County CHP officers got involved and, according to Officer Lee Hodges, decided the fugitive might be heading for the Mexican border, so radioed ahead to the Border Patrol.

Patrol agents set up a three-car roadblock on State Route 94, according to Patrolman Ed Ryeatt, and brought the pursuit to an end.

“All she would tell us,’ said Hodges, “was that she wanted to get away from San Pedro.”

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