OnStar Halts Suspect SUV During Police Chase Due To Presence Of 2-Year-Old Child

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Petaluma, CA - A police pursuit in California this week ended after OnStar slowed the suspect’s vehicle to a halt, allowing law enforcement to safely rescue a child being held by the erratic driver, officials said.

The California Highway Patrol’s Santa Rosa office said it received multiple 911 calls shortly before noon on Monday reporting a black Cadillac Escalade swerving and driving erratically on southbound US-101 in Petaluma. Witnesses said the driver was holding a small child and shouting at other motorists.

When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver fled, prompting a pursuit that continued into Marin County. A CHP airplane was called to assist by following the driver from the air, allowing law enforcement vehicles to pull back.

The driver exited the freeway onto city streets in San Rafael, then entered northbound US-101 heading back into Sonoma County. The suspect continued driving erratically, at speeds ranging from 30 to 100 mph. After reaching northern Santa Rosa, the driver exited and re-entered southbound US-101.

Due to the presence of a child in the vehicle, CHP contacted in-vehicle security company OnStar to develop a plan to safely stop the vehicle “without physical intervention.”

OnStar was able to “slow the vehicle at small increments,” CHP said, until it ultimately came to a stop on southbound US-101, just south of Lakeville Road in Petaluma.

The vehicle was stopped in a precarious location on an overpass, however. The driver exited the vehicle while holding the child and approached the edge of a 40-foot drop from the overpass to the ground below.

Aerial video shared by CHP shows officers surrounding the suspect on the overpass. She refused orders to release the child and surrender, but during negotiants she became “momentarily distracted,” allowing officers to quickly detain her and move the child to safety.

CHP did not release the identity of the suspect. After being medically cleared at a hospital, she was booked into Sonoma County Jail on charges of felony evading and felony child endangerment.

The 2-year-old child was uninjured and released to family members.