DPD: Driver arrested after crashing during short pursuit

Danville police arrested a Milpitas man following a brief pursuit that ended in a car crash Saturday afternoon, moments after the town’s automated license plate reader cameras allegedly caught the man in a stolen sedan.

The 49-year-old man has been detained on suspicion of possessing of a stolen vehicle, stolen property and a controlled substance, according to Police Chief Allan Shields.

The situation unfolded just before 3 p.m. Saturday when Danville’s license plate reading cameras notified police that a white 1998 Nissan Maxima, listed stolen out of Oakland, was spotted in town, according to Shields. Three minutes later, officers reportedly found the car driving westbound on Camino Tassajara at Woodside Drive, near Sycamore Valley Park.

A police pursuit was initiated, with the driver fleeing westbound at a high rate of speed before crashing just a few blocks later near Glasgow Circle, according to Shields. The driver lost control of the car and struck trees in the median, with the car coming to rest in the eastbound lanes.

The man tried to run away but was captured moments later, according to Shields. The man sustained minor injuries and was taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek for treatment — after which he was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.

The crash and cleanup caused police to close Camino Tassajara at Glasgow Circle for several hours into Saturday evening.

Editor’s note: The man’s name was withheld from the story in accordance with Embarcadero Media’s policy on identifying arrestees in certain cases before formal charges are filed by prosecutors.