Slooooow Chase, Spike Strip, End With Driver in the Humboldt County Jail

Lights from multiple law enforcement vehicles and a suspect vehicle on Hwy 101 as seen from across the river. [Photo from a local resident]

According to California Highway Patrol Officer Jonathan Clevenger, the incident began with a call reporting a disabled vehicle.

The CHP CAD pages show that a passing motorist found the vehicle in the number 2 lane of Hwy 101 near the Redcrest. The female driver was outside of the car. The motorist pushed the vehicle out of the roadway.

Clevenger told us that when an officer arrived on scene around 8 p.m., the woman was able to get her vehicle going. “While interacting with the motorist which included the driver’s demeanor, no odor of alcohol and no symptoms of alcohol intoxication were observed,” he explained.

However, when following the woman southbound on Hwy 101, Clevenger said, “the officer observed the vehicle cross over the double yellow lines. The officer activated his lights to conduct an enforcement stop. The driver failed to yield and continued south in southbound lane for 22 miles at slow speeds.”

Eventually, around 10 p.m., Clevenger explained, “An officer deployed a spike strip which was successful and the vehicle came to stop near the French Road offramp. The driver was then removed from the vehicle and placed into custody and, upon further evaluation by officer with a higher level of drug recognition, the driving observation by the officers, and the complete totality of the circumstances, the driver was determined to be under the influence of drugs and booked into the Humboldt County jail.”