Truck thief leads Paso Robles police on chase through city, Highway 46 before escaping
A man driving a stolen pickup truck led Paso Robles police officers on a chase through the city before escaping, according to the Paso Robles Police Department.
A license plate reader located the truck at Samantha Drive in Paso Robles around 2 p.m. Wednesday, and identified it as a vehicle reported stolen by the California High Patrol, police Cmdr. Tod Rehner said.
The stationary optical camera constantly scans license plates and sends that digital information to a database that police can see, Rehner explained, adding that the agency keeps locations of license plate readers confidential.
When Paso Robles police officers initiated a traffic stop, the suspect drove away at a “high speed,” Rehner said, and officers chased him through the city towards Linne Road — driving as fast as 45 miles per hour on “light traffic” streets.
The driver then circled back towards Union Road, accelerated to 70 miles per hour and drove westbound onto Highway 46, according to Rehner.
When the suspect started driving on the wrong side of the highway, police ended the pursuit, Rehner said.
“It was too reckless and unsafe for the general public,” Rehner said.
The Paso Robles Police Department is still looking for the suspect, who is a San Luis Obispo County resident, Rehner said.
Three Paso Robles police officers were involved in the vehicle pursuit, Rehner said.
He said the agency requested assistance from the CHP and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.
This story was originally published November 2, 2022 at 4:46 PM.
