CHP Fresno to Madera chase caught on camera

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — The CHP says people first started calling the CHP around 6 this morning after seeing a woman driving erratically on the 99, near Chestnut Ave.

Troopers caught up with her near the 41 interchange.

“And pretty much, the chase was on by that point,” said CHP Fresno Public Information Officer Mike Salas.

Salas says the driver reached speeds over 100 miles an hour.

“Obviously, it was very dangerous, it was a very uneasy situation when you’re chasing at those speeds at that time in the morning – a lot of traffic, people going back and forth to work.”

More and more officers gathered to try to stop her.

There were over half a dozen by the end that joined in on the chase by the time it was over.

“Sometimes we need additional officers out there, just depending on the type of situation. One, we didn’t know who was inside the vehicle, we didn’t know why they were running,” explained Salas. “Again, enough officers to effectively make that arrest and keep everyone safe, not only on the freeway, but also in custody.”

The CHP eventually was able to lay down spike strips to flatten her tires. A Caltrans camera caught the moments the driver ran off the road and hit a sign.

But even after that, she seemed to contemplate trying to escape and started pulling away again. Finally, an officer used a pit maneuver to stop her near the Gateway exit in Madera County.

“We have found that the driver was impaired through an unknown substance right now – whether it be illegal or legal medications, right now, we’re not sure. The investigation is still ongoing,” said Salas.

FOX26 Videojournalist Olen Hogensen captured the moments the driver was taken into custody.

She’s charged with DUI.

The CHP says the woman, whose name the department did not release, has been cooperating with them fully, and they don’t think she’s a drug abuser or that she intended to be impaired to the level she was.

“Very important you read those labels, you talk to your doctors to make sure you’re taking the right amount,” said Salas. “If you happen to feel a little bit different, maybe a little bit impaired while you’re taking those, it’s always a good idea not to get behind that wheel for obvious reasons. Just like today, it could have ended a lot more tragic with loss of life or injury. Thankfully nobody was hurt.”