CHP Chase On I-80 Ends In San Pablo

SAN PABLO, CA — A major roadway in San Pablo has reopened after police shut it down when a fleeing suspect hit a water hydrant and several cars this morning.

The case began when California Highway Patrol officers spotted a BMW SUV on eastbound Interstate Highway 80 near the Powell Street exit without proper license plates, according to CHP Officer Matthew Hamer.

The officers tried to pull over the suspect, described as a 24-year-old Oakland resident, but instead he sped away and the CHP officers gave chase, Hamer said.

The officers stopped chasing the SUV when the suspect started driving recklessly in San Pablo. Officers swept the area, locating the suspect a few minutes later in the intersection of San Pablo Dam Road and San Pablo Avenue, according to the CHP.

The driver allegedly hit several cars and a fire hydrant, CHP officials said. San Pablo police Sgt. Scott Cook estimated that the fire hydrant gushed water for about a half-hour.

The driver was taken to John Muir Medical Center with major injuries, according to the CHP.

San Pablo Avenue was shut down for about two hours, but has now reopened, Cook said.

— Bay City News; Image via CHP