High-Speed Car Chase Ends at Gaviota

A car chase that began in Ventura on Tuesday, with a Honda Civic traveling up to 120mph up the 101, ended with spike strips, blown tires, and a full stop just south of the Gaviota Tunnel. CHP reports that the chase began after Ventura County Sheriff’s Department radioed California Highway Patrol at 11 a.m. to stop the vehicle on suspicion of involvement in a burglary. It was going 100 mph and being tailed by a Ventura sheriff’s helicopter. The car traveled north from Flynn Road, passing other drivers along the right shoulder and center divider.

The spike strips were set at Winchester and El Capitan, but the car continued up the 101, going 60 mph at times with two blown tires. By the time it stopped at Gaviota, officers were waiting, and all lanes of the highway were blocked for safety. The three passengers were taken into custody with the help of a K-9 unit. The driver bolted, falling down a ravine as she ran and injuring a leg, but was taken into custody. No other injuries were reported.

In the car, the officers found merchandise with tags on them that were allegedly stolen. The suspects were to be transferred into custody in Ventura. The role of drugs and alcohol in the incident is unknown, and the names of the suspects have not been released, nor the charges.