Vehicle fleeing Cloverdale police somersaults creek

A high-speed police chase outside of Cloverdale ended in shocking fashion Wednesday when the vehicle being pursued plowed through a guardrail and somersaulted over Dutcher Creek before coming to rest on the opposite bank on its hood, the city's police chief said.

The driver of the 2006 Chevrolet SUV was identified as Mary Sydney Schaefer, 32, of Ukiah. She and her unidentified male passenger were both seriously injured in the crash, which happened minutes after a Cloverdale police officer attempted to pull the driver over for speeding.

Police Chief Stephen Cramer called it 'shocking' that the vehicle's occupants weren't more seriously hurt.

'They actually flew over the creek and into an embankment of ivy,' Cramer said.

He said the male passenger, who was pinned inside the overturned SUV, complained of 'excruciating pain,' and that Schaefer bled profusely from a head wound. Both were transported by ambulance to a hospital.

Cramer said their injuries did not appear life-threatening.

A Cloverdale police officer spotted the SUV around 12:30 p.m. going fast and passing vehicles on south Cloverdale Boulevard heading toward town. When the officer attempted to pull the vehicle over, the driver made a u-turn at Garden Circle Way, near the city's fire department, and sped off.

Cramer said the SUV topped speeds of 95 mph as it raced back out of town along south Cloverdale Boulevard. Two officers in separate patrol cars gave chase as the pursuit wound onto Dutcher Creek Road.

Cramer said the officers lost sight of the SUV. Passersby later reported the vehicle had crashed in the creek, at the intersection with Dry Creek Road.

The chief said had the crash occurred a few weeks ago the vehicle would have been submerged in several feet of water flowing in the storm-swollen creek.

Cramer said Schaefer will be facing charges that include evading police. He said neither drugs nor alcohol appeared to be factors in the crash.

The chief said it's unclear why the driver didn't stop for police.

'After the crash, the primary officer asked the driver, 'Why didn't you stop?' and her response was, 'I thought you were going to pull me over.''

'He said, 'Well, I was,'' Cramer said.

You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 707-521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @deadlinederek.