Driver Held After Freeway Chase

A Sylmar man was arrested Sunday morning after leading police on a freeway chase that reached speeds of 110 mph, authorities said.

Mark V. Davidovich, 55, was being held at the sheriff’s East County Station jail in Thousand Oaks on suspicion of evading arrest during a pursuit that started about 8 a.m. on the Ventura Freeway near Vineyard Avenue in Oxnard, authorities said.

“We’re still not clear why he ran, so the motive is unknown,” Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Tusi said.

The chase began after a car passed a southbound sheriff’s patrol car at a high rate of speed. As deputies signaled for the motorist to pull over, the driver swerved into the center divider to pass another car, authorities said.

Two sheriff’s patrol cars pursued the speeding vehicle on the freeway through Oxnard, Camarillo and Thousand Oaks before a California Highway Patrol officer took over at White Oak Avenue in Los Angeles County.

The driver exited the freeway at Tampa Avenue and was arrested by Los Angeles police officers at Sherman Way and Whitsett Avenue when he became stuck in traffic.

According to police reports, the driver ran several red lights and nearly struck a pedestrian walking near Tampa Avenue.

Davidovich was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail and was expected to be arraigned Tuesday.