BENICIA, Calif. — A police chase that began as a routine traffic stop in Benicia ended in a violent crash on Interstate 780 that left a passenger ejected from the vehicle and authorities searching for the driver who fled on foot.
The incident unfolded late Wednesday morning when officers with the Benicia Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle around 11 a.m. The driver refused to pull over and sped away, triggering a pursuit that headed west on I-780 toward Vallejo.
The pursuit came to a sudden and disturbing end when the vehicle crashed off the roadway near the stretch of I-780 between Columbus Parkway and Glen Cove Road. Authorities say the car rolled over and landed in the bushes off the highway.
During the crash, a woman riding as a passenger was thrown from the vehicle. Miraculously, officials said she remained conscious and alert after the violent wreck.
Emergency crews transported the woman to a hospital, where she was treated for injuries that were believed to be minor.
Instead of staying at the scene, the driver reportedly fled on foot after the crash, prompting a search involving multiple law-enforcement agencies.
Authorities temporarily closed westbound I-780 at Columbus Parkway as officers searched nearby areas for the suspect. The shutdown caused significant traffic disruptions before the freeway reopened later in the afternoon.
As of now, officials have not publicly confirmed what prompted the attempted traffic stop that escalated into the chase.
Police continue to search for the driver and have not released additional identifying information about the suspect.
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