Petaluma man arrested after high-speed chase

A suspected drunken driver tried to evade Petaluma police at high speeds Wednesday evening before being arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail.

A Petaluma police officer stopped behind Daniel Martin, 31, of Petaluma, at the intersection of Caulfield Lane and Payran Street watched him accelerate quickly when the light changed, causing his rear tires to lose traction and the vehicle to fishtail.

After Martin’s vehicle stopped at the next intersection and sped off in a similar manner, police said the officer attempted to pull him over. Instead, Martin sped down East D Street at a speed of around 80 mph.

He tried to evade the officer through multiple city streets before driving into a dead end on Vallejo Street, police said. Martin fled left his vehicle, jumped a fence and ran south down Payran Street before being arrested.

On probation for a 2014 DUI conviction, Martin was found to have a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit, police said. He was booked in jail on suspicion of reckless evasion, driving under the influence and violation of probation.

-Nick Rahaim