California Highway Patrol Newhall Office personnel were involved in two vehicle pursuits within hours of one another over the weekend, with both incidents ending in arrests.
According to Officer Josh Greengard, a spokesman for CHP’s Newhall Office, the first vehicle chase began shortly before 1 p.m. on the northbound side of Interstate 5, just south of the Highway 14 interchange.
The pursuit, Greengard said, began after a CHP motorcycle officer reported seeing a 26-year-old Valencia woman in a gray 2013 Honda CRV driving on the freeway while using her cellphone.
“The motorcycle officer activated his red emergency lights and attempted to pull over the Honda,” Greengard said. “The Honda failed to pull over and stop… (reaching a) top speed of 80 mph.”
Two additional CHP patrol units were called in to assist the pursuing motorcycle officer before the vehicle eventually exited at Valencia Boulevard.
A second pursuit was reported within hours of the first, but this time, Greengard said, involved a 27-year-old woman driving a black Honda Civic at approximately 3:39 a.m. on Sunday, on the southbound side of the I-5 near Calgrove Boulevard.
“(The suspect) was observed speeding by officers, at approximately 120 mph in a 65 mph zone,” said Greengard. “Officers attempted to initiate an enforcement stop, at which time the vehicle failed to stop and continued speeding, using all lanes of traffic to elude officers.”
After a few miles, the driver pulled to the right and both the driver and her passenger were taken into custody.
Both drivers were transported to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station and booked on suspicion of evading arrest. The two women were released on citations and ordered to appear in court at a future date.
