Vehicle Crashes, Rolls Following High-Speed Chase

A westbound lane of Highway 118 in Simi Valley was closed for about an hour Thursday due to a single-vehicle accident following a high speed chase.

A California Highway Patrol officer first observed the vehicle speeding at about 80 miles per hour while traviling westbound just west of Stearns Street in Simi Valley at 11:17 a.m., according to Miguel Duarte, public information officer for the CHP.

When the patrol officer attempted to stop the vehicle by pulling behind it and activating its lights, the driver accelerated, traveling at up to 120 miles per hour, Duarte said. The driver, at first, used all the highway lanes to pass slower vehicles and then began driving on the median, where he lost control of his vehicle and hit a concrete median, which caused the vehicle to roll onto its roof, according to Duarte.

The driver was transported to Simi Valley Hospital due to minor injuries and is under investigation for felony evading and driving under the influence, Duarte said.