HEMET: Woman apprehended after high-speed pursuit
HEMET — A woman was apprehended at the end of a dangerous high-speed pursuit that wound its way through Hemet earlier this evening. It was not immediately known what charges the woman was potentially facing and no officials from any of the multiple agencies involved in the chase – including Hemet PD, California Highway Patrol and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department – have released any information regarding the chase.
Law enforcement officials from at least three area agencies assisted during the pursuit and apprehension. Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents photo
The pursuit, which began about 6:45 p.m., started with reports of a possibly intoxicated motorist fleeing from officers after a hit and run that reportedly happened on Florida Avenue. The woman, who has not been publicly named by officials, fled from officers in a red, older model, Acura Integra.
The chase began in the area of Sanderson and Florida Avenues and continued on a number of different City and County streets before ending in front of a home on a dirt road north of the intersection of Hyatt and Devonshire Avenues, in an unincorporated area of Hemet just outside city limits.
During the pursuit, the suspect’s vehicle was observed driving in an extremely reckless manner, without regard for the safety of other citizens or pursuing officers. The vehicle was spotted driving into oncoming traffic, refusing to stop for posted stop signs or traffic signals and nearly colliding head-on with other, rush-hour commuters.
At one point during the pursuit, a Hemet PD watch commander ordered the pursuit terminated, due to the extreme danger being caused by the suspect’s alleged dangerous driving actions. However, a Sheriff’s helicopter that had joined the chase and was monitoring the suspect’s direction of travel from overhead was able to provide updates to officials from other agencies that were already in the area.
The pursuit eventually ended at the front gate of a private, semi-rural residence, where the alleged suspect was apprehended.
After the conclusion of the pursuit, officials were not able to immediately locate or identify the vehicle the suspect reportedly struck during the chase. Without being able to locate a victim, it was not confirmed that the hit and run happened or that charges of hit and run could be included.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.
Click any image to open full-size gallery.
Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents video
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 27 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 14 grandchildren.