Pursuit of stolen dump truck from Roseville ends with Highway 50 crash in Sacramento
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Roseville police on Wednesday initiated a pursuit of the stolen dump truck.
- California Highway Patrol officers took over the pursuit that ended in Sacramento.
- The dump truck crashed onto its side in the eastbound lanes of Highway 50.
A police pursuit of a stolen dump truck that started Wednesday in Roseville ended with the same vehicle crashing and overturning on the same busy stretch of Highway 50 in Sacramento where a helicopter crashed two months ago.
The pursuit began near Angus Road in Roseville, where officers tried to pull over the stolen dump truck, said Sgt. Nick Gaines, a spokesperson for the Roseville Police Department.
He said the dump truck failed to stop and a police pursuit ensued. Roseville officers chased the fleeing dump truck down Fiddyment Road to Baseline Road.
The vehicle chase continued heading west toward Interstate 5, Gaines said, before California Highway Patrol officers took over the pursuit in freeway lanes.
Officer Michael Harper, a spokesperson for the CHP South Sacramento office, said officers assigned to the CHP Valley Division’s commercial unit took over the pursuit. These CHP officers are tasked with enforcing laws for transport vehicles like big-rig trucks.
Harper said the dump truck’s driver led CHP officers in the chase as it meandered its way from southbound I-5 onto the eastbound lanes of Highway 50 near the 51st Street overpass. He said it was unclear what caused the dump truck to crash, but the vehicle ended up on its side.
The driver, identified as Vinesh Virendra Pal, 38, was taken into custody without incident. He was transported to a hospital for medical clearance before being booked into the South Placer Jail. He remained in custody Thursday on $265,000 bail, according to jail records, and is expected to be arraigned Friday.
Roseville police said he faces several felony charges include vehicle theft and evasion.
The dump truck on Wednesday crashed about 100 yards east of where a helicopter, an Airbus H130 for Reach Air Medical Services, crashed in October on Highway 50.
The Oct. 6 helicopter crash seriously injured flight nurse Susan Smith, pilot Chad Millward and paramedic Margaret “DeDe” Davis, shortly after the aircraft took off from UC Davis Medical Center. Smith, 67, of Palo Cedro near Redding, died of her injuries four days later.
Lanes reopened to traffic since before 7:30 p.m.
This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 6:17 PM.
