Drunk-Driving Suspect Held After Crash
A 41-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving early Saturday morning after leading police on a high-speed chase that ended when she lost control of her truck and crashed, police said.
Katherine Lavender of Azusa had apparently fallen asleep at a traffic light on Beach Boulevard near the Santa Ana Freeway, police said. She was discovered around 3 a.m. slumped over the steering wheel of her Toyota pickup truck by Officer Eileen Jones.
As Jones approached the truck, Lavender woke up and sped away, reaching speeds of up to 100 m.p.h. while fleeing from police. She drove six miles southbound on Beach Boulevard before crashing into a fire hydrant, then a light pole at the Garden Grove Boulevard intersection, police said.
Lavender suffered cuts on her face and was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange for treatment. She was cited at the hospital for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol, police said.
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