A brief police pursuit through Santa Barbara’s Eastside neighborhood ended Thursday night when a fleeing driver crashed into a tree and attempted to run from the scene before surrendering to officers.
The incident began around 9:30 p.m. on March 5, when a Santa Barbara police officer spotted a black Lincoln Navigator traveling eastbound in the 1200 block of East Cota Street without its headlights on and “at a high rate of speed,” according to a statement from the Santa Barbara Police Department.
As the officer attempted to catch up, the driver continued through nearby residential streets, allegedly driving recklessly. Police attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver failed to yield.
“During the incident, the suspect vehicle collided with an unoccupied parked vehicle in the area of 1100 E. Gutierrez Street,” the department stated.
The Navigator then continued west on Gutierrez Street before crashing into a tree on the 300 block of Calle Cesar Chavez Street, police said.
Following the collision, the vehicle’s occupants fled on foot. A short time later, the driver returned to the scene and surrendered to officers.
Police identified the driver as 22-year-old Santa Barbara resident Yahir Limon-Avita, who was not injured in the crash. He was arrested and booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on charges including felony evading and hit-and-run, with bail set at $75,000, according to police.
Authorities said a parked vehicle sustained damage in the earlier collision, but no injuries were reported.
Multiple police units responded to the scene along with a tow truck to remove the vehicle.
