Strange OC Car Chase Ends With an Arrest in Hollywood

A man who led Orange County deputies and CHP officers on a freeway chase from Irvine to Hollywood this morning was arrested, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Orange County sheriff's deputies said they began tailing a white Infinti heading north at a high rate of speed on the Santa Ana (5) Freeway near Culver Drive in Irvine at about 8:40 a.m.

``They paced the car at speeds of around 90 miles an hour, and activated their warning lights,'' Orange County sheriff's Lt. Joe Balicki told City News Service.

The driver of the Infiniti then slowed to legal speed limits and, while obeying other traffic laws, would not pull over, according to Balicki.

Deputies followed the car to the Los Angeles County line where California Highway Patrol officers took over, continuing to follow the Infiniti, Balicki said.

Its driver led them northbound on the Hollywood (101) Freeway before exiting and stopping near the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue in Hollywood, said the CHP's Officer Ed Jacobs.

Television coverage showed him acting strangely with something on a strap around his neck. But officers said the driver offered no resistance when arrested at 9:24 a.m., according to incident reports.

He was alone in the vehicle, and his name was not released. He was expected to be booked for evading a police officer, and possibly drunken driving, Jacobs said.

Despite some media reports, Orange County and CHP officers emphatically stated the incident was not a high-speed pursuit.

``It was simply a driver refusing to stop for a police officer,'' said Balicki.

-City News Service