CHP Rams Car to Stop Fleeing Driver

A motorist who led authorities on a high-speed pursuit through Santa Clarita was stopped in his tracks Monday after an officer rammed his car, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.

Moises Salas III, 25, of Arleta, was arrested and charged with suspicion of reckless driving and evading a peace officer, said CHP Officer Doug Sweeney.

The chase began just after 5 p.m. when officers saw a white sports car speeding down the southbound Golden State Freeway near Vista del Lago at Pyramid Lake, Sweeney said.

Several patrol cars shadowed the car as it weaved across freeway lanes, through the thickening rush-hour traffic. The driver tried to elude officers by exiting onto Valencia Boulevard.

But as the car headed east, a break in the traffic allowed an officer to nudge the right rear of the sports car several times, causing the driver to lose control and clip a light pole. The driver was trying to recover when he was cornered by patrol cars in the parking lot of the Valencia Town Center Mall.

Sweeney said the forcible-stop technique is not often employed by CHP officers because of safety considerations. But CHP commanders decided it was appropriate for Monday’s chase.

“Each one of these maneuvers depends on the individual situation,” Sweeney said. “We have to take the suspect’s driving pattern into consideration and the safety of all involved.”