Woman killed by California Highway Patrol officer after high-speed car chase

By Angela Hokanson, Bay City News Service

March 23, 2006

A woman shot by a California Highway Patrol officer early this morning after a high-speed chase from Concord to San Francisco has died, according to staff at the San Francisco medical examiner's office.

The woman was shot when she starting ramming her car into a CHP vehicle, San Francisco police Sgt. Neville Gittens said today. The woman was taken to San Francisco General Hospital, where she later died.

The chase began in Concord shortly after 2 a.m. when Concord police began pursuing a white Ford 500, which Gittens described as a "confirmed stolen vehicle.''

The chase continued onto Interstate Highway 680, where the CHP took over the pursuit at 2:34 a.m., said CHP Officer Ben Chaney.

The pursuit proceeded onto state Highway 24 and across the Bay Bridge, reaching speeds close to 100 mph, Gittens said.

The chase ended in the area of Santa Rosa and San Jose avenues in San Francisco's Mission Terrace neighborhood. The driver entered Santa Rosa Avenue, which is a dead-end street, and was effectively trapped after CHP vehicles followed the car into the dead-end, Gittens said.

The driver then began ramming her car into a CHP vehicle, and one officer shot at the driver.

A passenger might have been in the suspect's car at some point during the pursuit, Gittens said. Police have detained one person, who might have been that passenger, for questioning.

The cul-de-sac area of Santa Rosa Avenue remains closed while authorities investigate the shooting, Gittens said.

The incident is under investigation by the homicide division of the San Francisco Police Department. According to Gittens, the CHP will also conduct an "administrative investigation'' into the incident.

Copyright © 2006 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.

####