Suspected DUI driver found in woods after high-speed pursuit in Petaluma
Police in Petaluma arrested a driver suspected of DUI after he allegedly fled into a wooded area following a high-speed pursuit and crash over the weekend.
Around 6:45 p.m. Sunday, officers were called to the In-N-Out Burger location on Lakeville Highway after reports of a driver in the drive-thru who appeared to be intoxicated. Police pulled over the driver as he exited the drive thru.
After initially complying, police said the driver fled the scene, heading southbound on Highway 101 "at a high rate of speed."
During a three-mile pursuit, police said the driver was making erratic lane changes and passing other cars on the shoulder. Officers terminated their pursuit amid concerns about safety.
About 10 minutes later, the California Highway Patrol was called to a crash near San Antonio Road and Leghorn Lane, in which a car struck a power pole and live wires were down on the roadway. A Sonoma County Sheriff's helicopter confirmed that the vehicle was the same one involved in the pursuit.
With help from the helicopter, the driver was found in a heavily wooded hillside about a quarter mile from the crash site.
Video from Petaluma Police shows the driver fleeing on foot, through creek beds, fences and open fields, after officers on the ground located him. The driver, identified as 26-year-old Christian Gaussen-Butler of Petaluma, ultimately surrendered.
Gaussen-Butler was evaluated on scene by firefighters. He was later taken to a hospital for treatment of his injuries, which are believed to be from the crash or the pursuit.
Police said Gaussen-Butler is accused of felony evading, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving on a suspended license and resisting arrest.
