CHP Officer Rams Car to End Ortega Highway Chase

A California Highway Patrol officer rammed a stolen car Monday to end a chase along Ortega Highway, the CHP reported.

Officer Steve Bell and the driver of the stolen car, Temecula resident Eddie Rivera, 23, were slightly injured in the intentional collision at Ortega Highway and Rancho Viejo Road, the CHP said.

A pickup truck not involved in the chase was also damaged in the 3:30 p.m. incident, but the driver was not injured.

The episode began when Rivera was speeding east along Ortega Highway outside of San Juan Capistrano and refused to pull over for a CHP officer, authorities said.

The pursuing officer lost sight of Rivera along the highway, but Rivera turned around and began driving west, passing the officer, according to Officer Bill Wedderburn, a CHP spokesman.

Rivera drove as fast as 85 m.p.h., sometimes in the lane of oncoming traffic, as he sped west and entered San Juan Capistrano, the CHP reported.

The CHP officer, giving up the chase, radioed ahead to other CHP officers near the Ortega Highway overpass of Interstate 5, Wedderburn said.

Before reaching the freeway, however, Rivera stopped behind some cars at a stop light on Ortega Highway at Rancho Viejo Road, Wedderburn said.

A CHP officer driving through that intersection saw Rivera and began to pull behind him, Wedderburn said. But Rivera nosed out from behind a pickup truck and started driving along the curb.

Bell, along Rancho Viejo Road, then rammed Rivera, pinning his car between the CHP cruiser and a pickup truck driven by Dale Harper, 45, of Cypress. All three vehicles were damaged, Wedderburn said.

Rivera bolted from his car and tried to flee on foot but was caught, Wedderburn said.

Wedderburn said Bell followed CHP procedure when he decided to stop Rivera using his car. “In the situation Bell was in,” Wedderburn said, “he used legal intervention to avoid prolonging a pursuit.”

Rivera was taken to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo for treatment of minor injuries before being transferred to Orange County Jail.

Wedderburn said Rivera was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft and evading arrest.