VENTURA : High-Speed Police Chase Ends in Crash

A Ventura man led Oxnard police on a high-speed chase early Monday that ended when he crashed his late-model Cadillac into a car being driven by another motorist, authorities said.

Richard Peterson, 41, was arrested on Ventura Road near Vineyard Avenue, the site of the crash, on suspicion of evading an officer and driving under the influence of drugs, police said. Peterson and the man driving the other car, Oxnard resident James Robertson, received treatment for minor injuries.

The chase started about 8:30 a.m. in south Oxnard when officers patrolling the area pulled Peterson over for speeding on C Street, traffic investigators said. Peterson suddenly sped off after an officer requested his driver’s license, investigators said.

The officers jumped back in their car and followed Peterson to northbound Ventura Road, where they chased him another five miles. Robertson, 65, was driving in front of Peterson and began to pull his vehicle to the side of the road when he heard the police siren, officials said. Peterson then smashed into the rear of Robertson’s car, police said.