At about 1:19 am Wednesday morning, a Turlock Police officer near the intersection of Lander Avenue and East Glenwood Avenue, Turlock, observed a vehicle violate the California Vehicle Code, so he attempted to make a traffic stop on it. The vehicle failed to yield and a pursuit ensued.

The pursuit made its way northbound on State Route 99, eastbound on West Taylor Road, northbound on Geer Road, and then northbound on Santa Fe Avenue into Hughson, Modesto, and ultimately Riverbank. The pursuit then went back down to Modesto from Riverbank and made its way into Waterford. From Waterford, the pursuit went southbound on Hickman Road. It was ultimately terminated due to officer safety concerns near East Avenue, just southeast of Denair, after one of the pursuing police vehicles had a mechanical failure, leaving only one police vehicle in the pursuit.

The pursuit lasted approximately thirty five minutes and was approximately fifty miles long. Speeds reached an excess of one hundred miles per hour.

At some point during the pursuit, officers learned that the vehicle was wanted by the Ceres Police Department because it had fled from them the week prior. The Ceres Police Department’s original reasons for attempting to stop the vehicle remain unclear.

The California Highway Patrol and Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the pursuit while the Modesto Police Department and Ceres Police Department were made aware of it in case their assistance was needed.

The investigation remains on-going. Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is encouraged to call Officer Ryan Mulhim at 209-668-5550 extension 6673.

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