COUNTYWIDE : Driver Accused of Ramming Cars

A man driving a pickup truck was arrested after purposely ramming several cars, including a Ventura County Sheriff’s Department cruiser, on the Ventura Freeway, authorities said Monday.

William E. Green, 36, of North Hills was arrested by sheriff’s deputies late Sunday on suspicion of three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, Lt. Gary Backman said. He was being held Monday at County Jail on $5,000 bail.

Green, who was driving north on the freeway as fast as 100 m.p.h., sideswiped a car in the Calabasas area, rammed a small sedan into the center divider and attempted to crash into two other cars, Backman said.

A driver who witnessed the collisions called 911 on his car phone, alerting the California Highway Patrol and the Sheriff’s Department, Backman said.

Sheriff’s Deputy Jim Wade began chasing Green’s truck near the Las Posas Road exit of the Ventura Freeway, where Green pulled over. As Wade approached Green’s car, Green began backing up, with his tires smoking, then sped off after smashing into Wade’s police cruiser, Sgt. Rodney Thompson said.

With CHP and sheriff’s deputies’ vehicles in pursuit, Green finally was stopped at the Vineyard Avenue exit of the freeway, where he was taken into custody, Thompson said.