Suspected DUI driver leads CHP officer on high-speed chase

A high-speed CHP pursuit of a suspected drunken driver on St. Patrick’s Day ended with the driver found hiding in a portable toilet after he had crashed into another vehicle and ditched his car, according to the CHP.

The 1:40 p.m. chase covered both directions of Highway 101 from southern Santa Rosa to northern Rohnert Park and then back into south Santa Rosa, with the suspect driving 90 mph and faster while weaving through traffic, CHP Officer Jon Sloat said Monday.

The chase exited the highway at Todd Road. On Standish Avenue, the suspect’s Chrysler 300 sedan hit a Toyota pickup, causing minor injuries to that driver. The suspect then ran, chased on foot by an officer who lost him briefly but found him in a port-a-potty, Sloat said.

Officers arrested Jorge Alvarado Urena, 34, of Santa Rosa, on four felony and two misdemeanor charges including suspicion of driving while impaired, reckless evading, hit-and-run, not having a license and violating his probation. Bail was set at $100,000.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com.