CHP: Unlicensed Driver Arrested for Driving Stolen SUV Over 100 mph

MARIN COUNTY, CA- An unlicensed Richmond man is under arrest after he allegedly sped up Highway 101 in Marin in a stolen vehicle, the California Highway Patrol reports.

According to CHP Officer Andrew Barclay, 26-year-old James Ray Banks was first spotted by a local officer just before noon on Tuesday in the Corte Madera area, headed northbound near the SR-131/Tiburon Boulevard overpass.

"The officer observed a silver SUV traveling northbound in the #1 lane (fast lane) in excess of 80 MPH in a posted 55 MPH zone," Barclay said in a news release.That officer tried to catch up with the driver, who then crossed several lanes of traffic in front of him, into the slow lane, according to Barclay.

"The officer activated his patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and siren and attempted to conduct an enforcement stop on the SUV which was now traveling in excess of 100 MPH."

With the assistance of a CHP helicopter overhead, the officer eventually got the driver's attention, who pulled over south of the Paradise Drive off ramp, Barclay said.

When the CHP talked to Banks, he told them he did not have a valid license and that he was "borrowing the vehicle from a friend," according to Barclay. That story did not check out.

"After running the license plate that was mounted on the vehicle, the officer observed that the vehicle identification number (VIN) did not match up with the plate," Barclay said. "A check of the VIN revealed that the vehicle had been stolen earlier the same day from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway yard in Richmond where it was waiting to be delivered to a local business."

The CHP says Banks was arrested and taken to to the Marin County jail on the following charges:

• Grand theft automobile (felony)
• Possession of stolen property (felony)
• Driving on a suspended license
• Speed in excess of 100 MPH

(Image via Shutterstock)