DUI Suspect Nabbed After High-Speed Pursuit With Torrance Police
TORRANCE (CBS) — Torrance police said Saturday they arrested a 31-year-old drunk driving suspect after a brief high-speed chase.
The driver was identified as 31-year-old John Tippins of Inglewood.
The crash injured three people, none seriously, all passengers in a car Tippins allegedly hit.
Authorities said the chase began about 3:30 p.m. when a patrol officer spotted a silver, four-door Nissan traveling westbound on Redondo Beach Boulevard near Prairie Avenue, said Sgt. Steven Jenkinson of the Torrance Police Department.
In a statement, Jenkinson wrote that the suspect's car was driving erratically, "making unsafe lane changes and almost colliding with other vehicles."
The suspect failed to stop and officers said he often went 80 mph while continuing to drive erratically on Prairie Avenue.
Jenkinson said that at the intersection of Prairie Avenue and Rosecrans Avenue, the Nissan collided with a silver, two-door Toyota driving westbound.
A man, woman and 2-year-old child in the Toyota were all taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Officers reportedly found open containers of alcohol in Tippins' car.
He was booked on charges of felony evading, suspicion of DUI and driving on a suspended license.
Police said Tippins also had several outstanding warrants for previous DUIs and driving on a suspended license.
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