San Diego police arrest driver after truck chase ends on Pacific Beach sand

Officers conducted two pursuits and a high-risk vehicle stop before taking the driver into custody without further incident.

Emily Coffey
Posted

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego police arrested a man after they said he drove a truck recklessly through the Pacific Beach neighborhood and ultimately onto the beach and toward the water over the weekend.

On Aug. 30, just before 7:30 a.m., the San Diego Police Department Dispatch Center received multiple calls from witnesses reporting a male driver operating a tan or gold Nissan Frontier pickup truck recklessly in Pacific Beach. Witnesses reported the driver doing donuts in parking lots, nearly hitting other cars, and possibly hitting curbs and a retaining wall.

Officers arrived in the area within minutes. The first officer to locate the truck observed it traveling westbound toward the ocean. The officer conducted a traffic stop, but the driver fled, and a pursuit began.

Due to the driver's increasing disregard for public safety, officers terminated the first pursuit. Officers located the truck again, and the driver again failed to yield, leading to a second pursuit, which was also terminated.

Officers saturated the area. By that point, the vehicle was wanted for felony evading of a peace officer. When officers located the truck again, it was driving slowly. Officers held off on attempting another stop until the SDPD ABLE — Airborne Law Enforcement helicopter — was overhead and could track the vehicle.

The helicopter tracked the truck as it drove onto the beach and toward the water, footage of which circulated widely on social media. Officers were directed to the beach, and due to the nature of the violations and the suspect's disregard for public safety, a high-risk vehicle stop was conducted.

The driver, who was not identified, was taken into custody without further incident.

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