The driver of a vehicle that led police in a pursuit reaching speeds upwards of 70 mph through suburban Fairfield eventually plunged into the waters of the Putah Creek canal from which he had to be rescued by his pursuers.
It all began about 1:30 pm on September 17. Arthur Johnson, 37 of Sacramento, had stopped his vehicle at a red light the next lane over from a Solano County Sheriff’s patrol car. Legally waiting for the light to turn green, Johnson hit the gas hard, accelerating within a short distance to his top speed of 70 mph.
Hauling down Manuel Campos Parkway, Johnson blew through a dead end barrier. After a short cross-country journey, Johnson reached a Putah Creek canal access road and soon a six-foot cyclone fence topped with barbed wire. He climbed the fence, splashed into the canal and yelled for help. Officials threw him a rope and pulled him to shore.
He was treated for minor injuries and now stands accused of quite a variety of traffic law violations. A Solano Sheriff’s Department spokesperson did not explain Johnson’s motive for fleeing or why his getaway car had a private security firm’s logos on it. Perhaps the DUI/drugs (with injury) he was charged with led him to want to get away from the patrol car. Johnson was also charged with hit and run by a runaway vehicle causing property damage, reckless driving on a public street, and evading with wanton disregard for safety.
