Ayala Details Pursuit Resulting In Fatality

Jamestown, CA — CHP Sonora Area Commander Lt. Mike Ayala says the pursuit started shortly after 1:30 this morning … a pursuit that resulted in the death of an unidentified Oakdale female.

A westbound CHP unit turned eastbound and pursued a vehicle traveling in the neighborhood of 80mph. That vehicle proceeded east on Hwy 108 making a left turn onto Washington St. 23 year old Ricky Joseph Chavez, Jr. of Oakdale continued through Sonora where he turned southbound on Stockton Rd. at a high rate of speed.

For an unknown reason Chavez went through the stop sign at Stockton Rd. and Hwy 108. His vehicle proceeded across the highway and rolled several times down the embankment. Ayala believes both occupants were ejected. The female was killed while Chavez fled the scene only to be captured by CHP officers.

Chavez was briefly hospitalized and then booked into the County Jail on charges of felony driving under the influence, felony hit-and-run and felony evasion of a peace officer.

This marks the first traffic related fatality of the year in Tuolumne County. On March 14 33 year old Robert Allan Jackson of Modesto died when his 1999 Freightliner truck ran off Jamestown Rd. and collided with a P.G.& E. power pole. The CHP reports that Jackson died of a massive heart attack therefore the death is not counted as a traffic related fatality.

Written by Bill Johnson