The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office is investigating after a Lodi police pursuit ended in the death of the driver, prosecutors said Saturday.
Shortly after 11 p.m. Friday, a Lodi police officer saw a vehicle driving recklessly near South Cherokee Lane and East Vine Street, authorities said. The officer, who was in a marked patrol vehicle, activated their emergency lights and sirens in an effort to make a traffic stop.
According to police, the vehicle failed to stop and continued driving recklessly, leading the officer on a brief pursuit. The suspect’s vehicle ended up crashing and rolling over on its roof as it entered southbound state Highway 99 at the onramp by Cherokee Lane and Century Boulevard.
A passenger inside the vehicle was able to get out after the crash, police said, adding that the person was treated at the hospital and released.
The driver, identified only as a 19-year-old man, had to be extracted from the car by emergency medical technicians. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
In accordance with the San Joaquin County Officer Incident Protocol, the investigation is being conducted by members of the Lodi Police Department, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, the state Department of Justice and the San Joaquin County Medical Examiner’s Office. The California Highway Patrol is conducting the fatal traffic collision investigation.
Anyone with information related to the crash should call the Lodi Police Department at (209) 333-6727.