Suspected Drunken Driver Attempts to Dodge Police in High Speed Chase

An alleged drunken driver from San Rafael sped away from Sausalito police early Sunday morning, reaching speeds of up to 100 miles per hour before crashing into a center guardrail and being arrested, police said.

Sausalito police Sgt. Bill Fraass spotted an Acura SUV speeding north in the 2600 block of Bridgeway around 2:15 a.m., Lt. Kurtis Skoog said.

The car was traveling at between 70 and 80 mph in an area where the speed limit is 35 mph, according to police.

The driver sped up and the SUV entered northbound U.S. Highway 101 at an estimated speed of 100 miles per hour, with Sausalito police and a Marin County sheriff's deputy in pursuit.

The driver briefly yielded to officers, taking the Tiburon Boulevard exit and pulling over, but as officers approached the vehicle on foot he sped away again at about 70 miles per hour.

A few seconds later, he crashed into a center guardrail.

The driver, later identified as 23-year-old Irvin Prada, of San Rafael, was taken into custody. He showed signs of intoxication and was booked into on suspicion of driving under the influence, evading police, reckless driving and driving without a license.

He was being held on $2,500 bail.

Bay City News Service