Popped Tires Stop Wine Country DUI Chase

PETALUMA, CA — A 35-year-old Petaluma man was arrested Tuesday evening after officers found him slumped over the wheel at an intersection, and he sped off, leading police on a pursuit through a residential neighborhood.

Officers were patrolling the area near Sonoma Mountain Parkway and Reisling Road around 5:54 p.m. Feb. 10 when a citizen flagged them down about an unresponsive driver stopped at the intersection, according to the Petaluma Police Department.

An officer contacted the driver, who was slumped over the steering wheel, but after a brief interaction, the man fled in his vehicle, police said on Facebook.

Police said the driver sped through nearby neighborhood streets, ignored traffic signals, and drove at excessive speeds. Officers deployed a "tire deflation device" at Maria Drive and Sonoma Mountain Parkway, disabling one of the vehicle’s tires. The devices are used to deflate the tires without dangerous blow-outs.

The driver eventually stopped on Mauro Pietro Drive, where officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop and took him into custody.

The man, a Petaluma resident, was driving under the influence of alcohol and had a blood-alcohol level more than two and a half times the legal limit, according to Petaluma police. He was also suspected of driving on a suspended license and violating probation related to prior DUI convictions, police said.

The driver was booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of a felony DUI with prior convictions, felony evading a peace officer, driving on a suspended license, and violation of probation.

No injuries were reported.