A mid-morning crash on Milpas Street turned into a short police pursuit Friday, ending with the arrest of a suspected impaired driver, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department.
Officers were dispatched around 10:10 a.m. to the 500 block of North Milpas Street following reports of a hit-and-run. Within minutes, they spotted the vehicle heading south nearby and attempted to pull it over.
The driver did not stop, instead continuing south in what police described as a slow-speed pursuit that stretched several blocks before ending in the 00 block of South Milpas Street. No injuries were reported, and the driver was taken into custody without incident.
Police identified the driver as 55-year-old Santa Barbara resident Augustine Soto. Officers said they observed signs of impairment and launched a DUI investigation at the scene.
Soto was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor hit-and-run, driving under the influence, evading a peace officer, and possessing an open container of alcohol in a vehicle. He was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail, with bail set at $5,000.
As of Friday afternoon, it was not immediately clear whether Soto had been released. The Sheriff’s Office has been contacted for updated custody information.
