At least 1 dead after driver hits pole while fleeing deputy, Sacramento sheriff and CHP say

At least one person was killed Monday in North Highlands after a vehicle drove away from a Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy and slammed into a light pole, authorities said.

A driver and passenger suffered major injuries after getting trapped inside a vehicle at Watt Avenue and Winona Way, authorities said about the incident, which happened at about 11:35 a.m. A deputy attempted to pull over a car, but a man sped away and crashed into a light pole, said Sgt. Amar Gandhi, spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

Gandhi said both occupants suffered major injuries. The California Highway Patrol on its activity log just after noon reported the incident as a fatality, with the coroner dispatched to the scene. It was not immediately clear whether one or both occupants died.

Firefighters worked to extract the victims from the vehicle, which led law enforcement to close northbound and southbound lanes on Watt Avenue, according to the CHP’s dispatch logs. Officers also closed eastbound Winona Way.

Gandhi said in an update that another vehicle was involved in the incident, and that its driver suffered minor injuries. It wasn’t clear how this vehicle was struck.

This story was originally published January 22, 2024 at 12:36 PM.