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Tell Your High Speed Chase Tales Here
I developed new respect for Bay Area drivers after this morning's incident. I'm sure, however, it will be short-lived.
I was on my way to get a fix for my chocolate jones. So I was sitting at an intersection by the freeway and I heard a blast from a siren. I looked up the freeway off ramp and a CHP came flying down the eastbound off ramp, tore under the underpass, hooked a left, and went roaring up the westbound freeway on ramp. I figured it was an accident and cursed because I got stuck in traffic yesterday and was almost late for my massage. Again, I thought.
So I drive the block and make the left onto the westbound on ramp. I get on the freeway and I notice a CHP patrol car pulled over on the shoulder. Weird, I thought, 'cos he just got on in a blaze of glory. Then I glance in the rear view mirror and see flashing lights coming up behind me in the second to the fast lane (this section of freeway has four lanes in one direction--I was in the slow lane). I wonder why the guy in front of the CHP doesn't move over out of the way, then I see him get into the fast lane and the CHP is on his tail. He changes to a slower lane, and the CHP is still behind him. By now, my chocolate starved brain kicks into gear and I go "Duh, oh. High speed chase." I don't know where they came from, but one at a time, four or five CHP cars surrounded this guy. I continued to slow down and stayed in the slowest lane.
But this is the truly remarkable part. Most people moved to the two right lanes and left the other two lanes open. And when people from behind came roaring up in the fast lanes to where the chase was, they slowed down and backed off immediately. I was only on for three exits then dived off. I turned on the news radio stations but neither one included anything with the traffic reports. Don't have a clue what it was all about.
The guy they were chasing was only going about 70+, maybe. Not a high speed chase, exactly, I'm happy to report. I don't think this one will end up on Wildest Police Chases. The worst thing was that I was so engrossed in the chase, I wasn't paying much attention to my driving. Thankfully, I didn't plough into anyone. When I realized I wasn't watching the road, it was time for me get off.
By the way, this is an example of the big difference between Southern Cal and Northern Cal. If this had been LA, there would have been fifteen helicopters overhead and they would have broken into regular televsion programming to give live coverage of the chase.
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