SANTA ROSA – A man driving a stolen Ford pickup truck went to great lengths to get away, and nearly killed or injured a family who got in his way.
The incident began last Saturday afternoon, May 31 at 1:49 pm, when someone reported a suspicious vehicle to Santa Rosa police, providing a license plate to the dispatcher. Whatever caused their suspicion turned out to be right, as the plates came up as stolen. According to a department press release, officers responding to the area spotted the white Ford F150 on Badger Road, in north east Santa Rosa near Rincon Valley Park.
The attempted a traffic stop, but the driver kept on, heading south down Middle Rincon and cutting through Oliver’s Market parking lot on Montecito Blvd., before getting back on the road and fleeing at up to 60 miles per hour. The driver, later identified as 46-year-old Derek Bennett of Santa Rosa, headed further south down Middle Rincon and turned right on Highway 12. Traffic, however, was too heavy to continue his speed, so he passed cars driving on the right shoulder. After just a few blocks, before reaching Mission, he collided with a car turning into the driveway of a residence on the right side of the highway.
Bennett collided with a car at this driveway, and hit the large tree in the middle of the picture.
Fortunately the three people in the car, including a young child, were not injured in the crash, but the truck careened off the road and hit a tree, coming to a rest at a 45 degree angle. Before the officers could catch up to him, Bennett fled the area on foot. The search for him began, and a helicopter from the Sonoma Sheriff’s office responded to assist. The Sonoma police also provided a K9 unit to help search the neighborhood on foot.
A possible sighting was reported, and the police dog was then able to track the suspect in a neighborhood just behind the area of the crash, on Prospect Drive. His hiding place revealed, Bennett gave up without further trouble. He was treated for injuries he had sustained in the collision, and released from the hospital for booking at the Sonoma County jail. He was charged with felony possession of a stolen vehicle, stolen property, and evading, hit and run, and outstanding warrants. Bennett has a history of drug possession and under the influence arrests dating back to 2011 with at least eight arrests, including one charge of petty theft, and repeated probation violations.
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