Police pursuit ends in fatal crash following Woodland gas station robbery
A police pursuit ended in a fatal crash after suspects fled the scene of an apparent armed robbery in Woodland early Thursday morning, authorities said.
A passenger in the fleeing vehicle was ejected and killed, while the driver was hospitalized after the vehicle crashed into a power pole just north of Woodland, according to police and fire officials.
The police chase started following an armed robbery reported at a Chevron gas station near Pioneer Avenue and East Main Street about 3:20 a.m., Woodland Police Department Deputy Chief Derrek Kaff said.
A male suspect left the gas station and got into an awaiting Nissan Sentra, Kaff said.
Police then began a short pursuit as the Nissan drove north on Pioneer Avenue, which turns into County Road 101.
“Just after (the suspect vehicle) left the city limits, it went off the roadway, collided with a telephone pole and flipped,” Kaff said.
Officers attempted life-saving measures on the passenger, who was ejected when the car flipped, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Nissan sustained major damage as it ended up in a field following the crash, photos show.
Kaff said the armed robbery at the gas station resulted in an undisclosed amount of property being taken, and that the suspect brandished a black handgun. Based on witness reports, the Nissan was sitting near the entrance of the Chevron station “like a getaway car,” Kaff said. No one was hurt in the robbery, he said.
Fire personnel responded to the scene along County Road 101 about 3:30 a.m., according to a Facebook post by the Woodland Fire Department.
The driver was extricated and taken to UC Davis Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to Kaff.
A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. online outage map indicates about 16 customers in the immediate area remained without power as of 8 a.m., due to the car hitting the power pole.
Woodland police will investigate the robbery. The crash will be investigated by California Highway Patrol, Kaff said, because Woodland Police Department’s policy is to hand the case off to an outside agency when a pursuit ends in a collision.
Identification of the deceased will be handled by the Yolo County coroner’s office, pending notification of family.
This story was originally published May 2, 2019 at 12:07 PM.
