Mendocino County driver arrested after Highway 1 chase

A Fort Bragg man remained in jail Monday after he fled a traffic stop and led deputies on a high-speed, 20-mile pursuit along Highway 1 this weekend.

Johny Delgado, 19, sped away around 12:30 a.m. Saturday on Point Cabrillo Drive near Caspar Beach after a deputy spotted his car swerving and speeding, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said. Delgado headed south in his white Acura sedan, reaching 70 mph as he made his way through a residential area of South Caspar, deputies said.

He blew through a stop sign turning onto northbound Highway 1, where he continued at speeds in excess of 120 mph, deputies said. He then got off at Simpson Lane, heading east into a heavily wooded area and driving onto various streets before reaching a dead end on Turner Road, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies tried to block him with their patrol cars, but he drove around their vehicles, narrowly avoiding a crash, the sheriff’s office said. Delgado then continued toward Highway 1 when Fort Bragg police officers set up a spike strip at a traffic circle on Simpson Lane to deflate the sedan’s tires.

Although the tires immediately deflated, Delgado continued to drive, ultimately coming to a stop after reaching another dead end on Ocean Drive about a mile away, the sheriff’s office said.

Delgado abandoned his car and ran into a brushy area, holding a can of beer, deputies said. A police dog quickly found him hiding in a small creek.

Delgado faces numerous charges, including driving with a suspended license and evading a peace officer while causing an injury.

A Fort Bragg police officer was injured while deploying the spike strip and was treated at Mendocino Coast District Hospital, the sheriff’s office said. No other information was available on the officer’s injuries.