A domestic disturbance on Santa Barbara’s Eastside escalated into a multi-agency police pursuit Saturday afternoon, ending in a crash on the northbound Highway 101 off-ramp at La Cumbre Road, according to authorities.
Officers were dispatched around noon to the 100 block of North Salinas Street for a reported disturbance. While en route, police learned the incident involved a dispute between a man and a woman. The man had left the scene before officers arrived.
He returned shortly after, driving recklessly and threatening officers, according to police. When officers attempted a traffic stop, the driver fled, prompting a brief pursuit that was ultimately terminated “in the interest of public safety,” the department said.
A description of the vehicle (a silver Dodge 2500 pickup) was broadcast to other agencies. California Highway Patrol officers later located the suspect in the downtown area and attempted a stop, but the driver again failed to yield. The pursuit continued through city streets and onto northbound Highway 101.
It ended when the vehicle crashed at the La Cumbre Road exit where the driver was taken into custody without further incident.
Requests for the suspect’s identity and charges from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office were not returned before deadline.
“This remains an active investigation,” police said, adding that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
