Driver Leads Petaluma Officers On High-Speed Chase: Police

PETALUMA, CA — A Santa Rosa man is accused of leading Petaluma police officers on a high-speed freeway chase for several miles Thursday night, then responding "Why not?" when asked why he did it, the Petaluma Police Department said.

The incident started at 8:19 p.m. Thursday on Old Redwood Highway when a Petaluma officer saw a small SUV traveling with false registration tags, police said in a news release.

The officer switched on his emergency lights and pulled behind the driver, who was later identified as 42-year-old Benjamin Vega of Santa Rosa, police said.

Vega got onto northbound U.S. 101 where he slowed down and started to pull over to the right side of the highway but instead of stopping, he suddenly sped back onto the freeway, police said.

The officer pursued Vega northbound on U.S. 101, then westbound onto state Highway 12 at speeds greater than 100 mph, police said.

When Vega turned southbound onto Llano Road he lost control of his car and crashed into a pole but he reportedly still did not stop; police said he put the car in reverse and went south on Llano Road.

A short distance later, Vega went off the road and his car came to rest in a drainage ditch.

According to Petaluma police, Vega then complied with officers' commands and was taken into custody with the assistance of Sonoma County sheriff's deputies without further incident.

When an officer asked Vega why he led them on a chase, Vega reportedly replied: "Why not?"

When officers ran his record they learned Vega had an outstanding felony warrant for being involved in a prior police pursuit and a misdemeanor warrant for possession of a controlled substance.

Once Vega was medically cleared at a hospital, police said was booked into Sonoma County jail on the warrants and on suspicion of evading a police officer and false vehicle registration.

He was being held in lieu of $55,000 bail Friday morning, according to jail records.