Edhat Staff
By the edhat staff
Late Saturday night, August 26, a wrong-way driver in a stolen truck from Lompoc engaged the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in a nearly three-hour pursuit in San Luis Obispo County.
The incident began when a CHP officer on the Cuesta Grade observed a three-axle flatbed truck traveling southbound in Highway 101’s northbound lanes.
Efforts to stop the dangerous driver initially proved unsuccessful as the officer attempted a traffic break. Undeterred, the driver maneuvered through the center divider, accessing the southbound lanes and continuing their journey. Despite multiple spike strip deployments by pursuing officers, the driver steadfastly maintained a slow speed of only 10 mph.
Near the Laetitia Vineyard & Winery, between Arroyo Grande and Nipomo, the driver abruptly reversed course and headed northbound. The pursuit continued until the truck’s damaged front tires eventually forced it to come to a stop near Spyglass Drive on the freeway. Refusing to exit the vehicle, the driver was subjected to pepper spray in an attempt to gain compliance with commands, according to the CHP report.
With the driver still failing to cooperate, an officer deployed a stun gun, leading to the apprehension of the individual identified as Antonio Vega Torres Jr., a 43-year-old resident of Lompoc.
The entire incident lasted two hours and 45 minutes, during which the driver was suspected of being under the influence of drugs, with the subsequent confirmation that the truck was stolen. After receiving medical examination, Torres was booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail.
Good example of Law Enforcement using restraint, and controlling the safety of others a s best they could. After that much time elapsed, it would have been very easy to lose patience!
That is not “Policing”… That is impacting thousands of law abiding motorists who were needlessly delayed for the sake of WOKE Policing. The CHP get paid to take educated and calculated risks, this was insanity… a circus.