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| Justin Melton, 25 of Oroville |
A man who squealed his tires as he passed the Chico Police Department on Oct. 21 and led officers on a short chase is in jail.
Justin Melton, 25, of Oroville has been charged with hit and run, evading a peace officer, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while his license was suspended and a probation violation.
“We got a report that morning of reckless vehicle, possibly trying to run people over and trying to fight people,” Police Sergeant Mike Rodden said.
Officers heard the white Hyundai sport utility vehicle screeching its tires and identified it as the same car people were calling about.
“We had an officer here at the station, and when he came out he saw the vehicle leaving and began following it,” Rodden said. “The vehicle was traveling very fast, probably 60 m.p.h. eastbound on Humboldt. By the time he caught up to it, the vehicle had turned south on Forrest.”
An officer caught up to the car on Humboldt Road and turned on his lights to conduct a traffic stop.
The SUV then hit a utility box that controls the traffic signals for the intersection of Forest Avenue and Amanda Way, but then continued.
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| Intersection of Amanda Way and Hartford Drive in Chico. |
“The driver immediately took off again around Springfield to Hartford, where the vehicle just basically died from the collision,” Rodden said.
Nobody was injured during the chase.
-- Nicole Camarda