A man once thought to be a homicide suspect led California Highway Patrol officers on a wild chase down Interstate 5 this morning, the CHP said.
During the pursuit south on I-5, the suspect, a 37-year-old man from Everett, Wa., avoided numerous strips placed on the roadway to puncture his tires. Eventually, his vehicle came to a stop when he ran out of gas south of Woodland.
The man is suspected of stealing an older model SUV this morning from a gas station in Redding. The Redding police took the report, which was eventually transmitted to CHP officers patrolling I-5.
CHP officers from the Williams office spotted the vehicle going southbound on I-5 and gave pursuit. The suspect at one point called CHP dispatch and said he had killed his brother.
The information was transmitted to officers that they were not only following a suspected car thief, but also a motorist who had admitted to a killing. Redding police, however, was able to contact the man's brother, discovering that the sibling was still alive.
Woodland CHP units put out spike strips in the roadway near Dunnigan, but the strip was not effective even though SUV ran over it with the right rear tire. The SUV reached speeds from 60 to 90 mph, but slowed to get around three other spike strips.
The chase ended on southbound I-5 near Woodland when the man ran out of gas, said CHP officer Ken Walter.
Walter said Thanh Kong Phan will be charged with auto theft and felony evading an officer.
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