Overlapping Pursuits Crisscross The 24/680 Thursday

In a strange series of events even for these somewhat strange times, two unrelated vehicle pursuits nearly overlapped Thursday, attracted police from multiple jurisdictions as well as a police helicopter and at one point slowed down enough for one car to stop for fuel before continuing south on I680.

Both incidents seemed to kick off at about 4:20 p.m. with police falling in behind a white van they suspected had been stolen and pursuing it west on Highway 24 before stopping it at gunpoint near Central Lafayette. As that arrest was underway a silver Audi A7 which had been running west on SR4 before it turned south on Highway 242 and then 680 nearly overtook the scene, the Audi’s driver maneuvering off the freeway and onto Pleasant Hill Road to avoid the gridlock.

The Audi sped south on Pleasant Hill road to Olympic Boulevard, pulling over for “a couple of gallons of gas, at most” – apparently $8.00 worth of unknown grade according at least one person close by – at a station at Tice and Olympic before speeding off toward southbound I-680 and fleeing the area before it was reacquired in Oakland – two people bailing out and fleeing on foot.

We believe they may have eluded capture, though the car was recovered at the scene.