Car Chase Was Enough to Make the Skin Crawl

Police who pursued a fleeing motorist for about 70 miles through parts of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties kept their pedals to the metal Thursday.

Their brake pedals, that is.

That’s because the tiny car that officers chased through the City of Industry, Pomona, Ontario and San Bernardino toward the Mojave Desert was making its getaway at a brake neck speed: 25 m.p.h.

A parade of police cars poked along behind the white 1976 Honda as other surprised motorists sped past them on the Pomona (60) Freeway and Interstate 15.

Finally, after creeping along for 2 1/4 hours, California Highway Patrol officers pierced the fleeing car’s tires and pinched its driver. But they decided not to press any criminal charges.

Instead, they took 34-year-old Amy Vangelder of San Rafael to a hospital to be treated for apparent mental depression.

“She’s a manic depressive who hadn’t been taking her medicine,” said Capt. Ted Burgnon, commander of the CHP’s office in Victorville. His officers finally stopped Vangelder at 10:30 a.m. near the summit of the 4,000-foot Cajon Pass.

“No one was hurt. There was no damage to any cars. She had no outstanding warrants. There was no reason to charge her with anything.”

The unusual chase began at about 8:15 a.m. on the eastbound Pomona Freeway near the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway when El Monte police officers tried to pull Vangelder over for a lane-change violation, authorities said. Instead of stopping, she kept going--at about 20 m.p.h.

As the snail’s pace pursuit continued, CHP officers from Ontario, San Bernardino and Victorville took over.

CHP dispatchers, meantime, took turns fielding gripes from other motorists who found themselves caught up in the unusual procession.

“They thought we were escorting traffic because of the weather,” Burgnon said. “And it wasn’t raining that hard.”

The leisurely chase gave officers time to check on the Honda’s registered owner. That’s when they learned from family members that Vangelder was supposed to be taking medication but wasn’t, said CHP spokesman Lorin Orchard.

After spreading a nail-lined “spike strip” across the interstate at the Cajon Pass to puncture Vangelder’s four tires, officers slowed her getaway to 15 m.p.h. Then CHP Sgt. Rich Hostetler drove alongside and gently nudged her car to the side of the busy highway.

Even then, the woman refused to unlock the car, so officers had to shatter a rear side window to get to her.

Officers drove Vangelder to San Bernardino County Hospital for examination.