NORTH COUNTY NORTH COUNTY — The 18-year-old driver of a stolen Kia crashed and overturned the car in a Vista traffic circle early Sunday morning after being pursued by law enforcement officers in Riverside and San Diego counties, authorities said.
According to the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, deputies received an alert shortly before midnight on Saturday to be on the lookout for a white 2023 Kia Forte that Riverside deputies had been pursuing south along Interstate 15. San Diego County deputies saw the car driving with its lights off near Mission Road in Fallbrook and they tried to pull it over, but the driver didn’t stop.
Instead, the driver took off, reaching speeds exceeding 110 mph, according to sheriff’s officials.
The driver turned onto state Route 78 in Escondido and headed to Vista, where he exited onto Sycamore Avenue. The driver then crashed into a concrete structure that is part of a traffic circle at the intersection of South Santa Fe Avenue and Pala Vista Drive, sheriff’s officials said.
The car overturned and four people exited the car, officials said. They were all transported to a hospital for evaluation It was not clear whether any were injured.
All had been released from the hospital as of Sunday morning, according to sheriff’s Lt. John Spach. Two of the engers were juveniles.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, felony evading, and two counts of felony child endangerment, officials said.
A deputy who crashed a patrol car into the concrete barrier of the traffic circle during the pursuit suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital to be treated, officials said.
