On Tuesday just after midnight, a Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputy pulled a driver over for speeding in the area of northbound Highway 101 and Casitas Pass in Carpinteria.
When the deputy made contact with the driver, 35-year-old George Jolly of Hollywood, he denied having any identification or paperwork for the vehicle. The driver then rapidly drove away from the deputy, almost striking him with his car before speeding back onto northbound Highway 101. The deputy went back to his patrol car and initiated a pursuit.
Jolly drove recklessly in his efforts to evade the deputy. Additional deputies from the Coastal Station responded to assist. Jolly continued at a high rate of speed northbound on Highway 101 and then attempted to exit the Hermosillo Drive off-ramp.
Due to his high rate of speed, Jolly drove off the roadway, through some brush and landed on the center median of Coast Village Road just west of the Hermosillo Drive off-ramp. His vehicle became disabled as it traveled off the roadway.
Once Jolly’s vehicle came to a stop, he got out of his car and proceeded to run away. The deputies quickly set a perimeter in the area. Officers from the Santa Barbara Police Department and the California Highway Patrol responded to assist as did a sheriff’s K-9 unit.
With the assistance of his handler, K-9 Aco tracked Jolly to a shed on Palm Tree Lane where he was hiding. Jolly was arrested without incident.
During an inventory search of Jolly’s vehicle, deputies discovered six pounds of methamphetamine and one-quarter pound of heroin (with an estimated street value of more than $50,000). They also discovered cash and drug paraphernalia.
Jolly was transported to the Santa Barbara County Jail and booked on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, evading law enforcement, resisting/delaying a peace officer, exceeding 65 mph, driving without a license, possession of heroin for sale, transporting heroin, possession of methamphetamine for sale and transporting methamphetamine.
Jolly also had a warrant out of Los Angeles County related to drug possession and drug sales.
— Kelly Hoover is a public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.