California

California Police Chase Ends With Suspect Driving Over Cliff, Into Ocean

The suspect, accused of carjacking, was taken into custody after leading police on a 100-mph pursuit, authorities said

File image of a beach in Santa Cruz
Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images

A driver who led authorities on a 100-mph chase drove off a cliff and into the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday in a town north of Santa Cruz, California, law enforcement officials said.

The chase started about 3:30 p.m. near Davenport, a town about 11 miles north of Santa Cruz, when sheriff's deputies responding to a report of a man firing a handgun in the air came across a suspect who had just carjacked someone, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's office said in a statement.

Deputies gave chase as the motorist headed south toward Santa Cruz at speeds of more than 100 mph, the office said. Deputies called off the pursuit as they neared the city over safety concerns for bystanders, sheriff's officials said.

The suspect kept driving and ended up in the Pacific Ocean less than a mile west of the city's famed beach Steamer Lane, the office said.

The suspect was taken into custody and no injuries were reported.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

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