Wrong-Way Driver Leads Cops On Chase

A Watsonville man led a Scotts Valley police motor sergeant on chase down Highway 17 on Wednesday morning that went the wrong-way on the highway and veered onto the shoulder of a road before it ended, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Tomas Zavalla Herrera, 24, was arrested on suspicion of felony evading, reckless driving, driving without a license, and misdemeanor hit and run, the CHP reported.

"Fortunately, we were able to take him into custody before he injured or killed someone," CHP officer Sarah Jackson said.

The chase started around 11:20 a.m. when the on-duty Scotts Valley cop was in a near-collision with a white GMC pickup. About the same time, a CHP officer was monitoring traffic at the restaurants at the Summit and noticed the pickup speeding south on the highway, according to the CHP.

The pickup used the northbound lane to pass southbound traffic—driving the wrong way on the highway—then re-entered the southbound lanes. Several vehicles had to swerve to avoid crashes, the CHP reported. 

That's when the CHP officer got involved and tried to pull over the truck. Herrera drove down the center of Highway 17, essentially splitting traffic between the two southbound lanes. He side-swiped three vehicles, Jackson reported.

The pursuit continued south down the highway with the Scotts Valley officer and CHP officer chasing Herrera. He used the shoulder to pass traffic until finally pulling over at Vine Hill Road, just outside of Scotts Valley, according to the CHP.

Drugs and alcohol were not a factor in the collisions or pursuit, and no injuries resulted from the collisions, Jackson reported.