Two arrested following high-speed pursuit
Two men were arrested following an early morning pursuit on Highway 395.
Jermaine Alexander Benjamin, of St. Louis, Missouri, and Marshawn Anthony Gordon, of Palm Bay, Florida, were placed under arrest Thursday morning after they fled on foot after their high-speed pursuit ended in a crash.
“At about 12:55 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, a CHP graveyard patrol unit was southbound on Highway 395, north of Laver Crossing. CHP officers observed a northbound Nissan sedan traveling at a speed greater than 95 miles per hour,” according to a statement from the California Highway Patrol. “The CHP unit activated their forward red rights to conduct an enforcement stop, and attempted to overtake the Nissan.
“The driver of the Nissan accelerated to a speed of 121 miles per hour in an attempt to evade the officers. The pursuit continued northbound on Highway 395, sustaining speeds of 115 to 120 miles per hour.
“The driver of the Nissan intermittently would turn off the headlights and tail-lights in an attempt to evade the CHP patrol unit,” the statement alleged. “The pursuit continued onto Milford Grade and visual contact was lost.”
Later, at approximately 1:15 a.m., the statement continued, “the Nissan was located on Old Highway 59, where it had lost control, traveled through a barb wire fence and down a ravine, where it collided with a large rock.
“The Nissan was unoccupied, with all occupants of the Nissan having taken footbail. CHP and allied agencies searched the area. CHP later located the suspects in the vicinity of Highway 395 and A-25. Suspects were placed under arrest with no further incident.”
