A stretch of roadway near Gilroy where a driver crashed a stolen
pick-up truck into a power pole during a high-speed chase remained
closed as of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the California
Highway Patrol.
A stretch of roadway near Gilroy where a driver crashed a stolen pick-up truck into a power pole during a high-speed chase remained closed as of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the California Highway Patrol.
CHP Officer Jaime Rios said PG&E officials remained at the scene – Ferguson Road near Leavesley Avenue – where Lydia Rubio, 40, crashed a Chevy Silverado pick-up Thursday morning after leading officers on a pursuit along westbound Highway 152, reaching speeds of up to 90 mph.
The wreck downed power lines, which caused a small brush fire in the area, Rios said.
Rubio, suspected of swiping the car out of Los Banos, was airlifted to Regional Medical Center of San Jose with internal bleeding, Rios said. She faces potential charges of driving under the influence, possession of a stolen vehicle and evading officers, Rios said.
Kimberly Olson, 38, and David Olmos, 33, were passengers in the truck and were also arrested. Olson has not been charged, but Olmos faces potential charges of being under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, Rios said.
Rios said the pick-up is government owned, but wasn’t sure to what agency it belonged.
After the vehicle was reported stolen, the CHP spotted the vehicle along westbound Highway 152 near Casa de Fruta and a pursuit ensued, Rios said. With several CHP units following the vehicle the truck “took off,” Rios said.
The truck then turned down Ferguson Road, where it ran over a set of spike strips set out by officers and crashed into a utility pole just north of Leavesley Road, Rios said.
Olson and Olmos climbed out of the car and were arrested. Rubio remained in the truck and was unresponsive, and emergency crews were forced to wait until PG&E officials arrived and shut down power to the downed lines before extracting the driver, Rios said.
Rios said a CHP sergeant stepped over live power lines to extinguish the small fire to prevent the vehicle from possibly exploding.
