Local law enforcement was on the lookout Tuesday afternoon for a man involved in a high-speed vehicle pursuit from Ventura to Carpinteria, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The suspect, believed to be a Santa Barbara resident, was driving a light blue Honda Civic northbound on Highway 101 through Ventura shortly after 2 p.m. when a CHP officer attempted to make a traffic stop for speeding, CHP Officer Shannan Sams told Noozhawk.
The driver exited the freeway at Seaward Avenue and began to pull over at a stoplight, Sams said.
However, when the light turned green, the vehicle re-entered Highway 101 northbound and fled from the officer, racing across all traffic lanes at speeds over 100 mph, Sams said.
The officer discontinued the pursuit once it reached the Carpinteria area, knowing construction was happening along the freeway.
A short time later, the vehicle was seen again exiting Highway 150 near Carpinteria.
A CHP officer tried to block the suspect’s path of travel, but the suspect “went backing up around the patrol vehicle,” Sams said.
The driver reportedly rammed into the patrol vehicle and was held at gunpoint at one point during the incident, according to emergency radio traffic.
The blue Honda was last seen in the Casitas Pass Road area, according to Sams.
The investigation was ongoing, but the CHP believes that it knows who the suspect driver is, Sams said.
No further details were available.
— Noozhawk staff writer Jade Martinez-Pogue can be reached at jmartinez-pogue@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.