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Police give chase to suspected drunken driver

CARLSBAD — Carlsbad Police were summoned to the location of Carlsbad Boulevard and Ponto Drive at approximately 6 a.m. July 12. A Border Patrol unit had discovered a vehicle facing the wrong way in the center median of Carlsbad Boulevard, facing southbound along the northbound edge of the median. The driver appeared to be passed out and possibly had been drinking.
A Carlsbad Police officer made contact with the female driver, later identified as Bonnie Bass. Bass, 58, awoke and rolled up and locked her vehicle doors and windows and did not comply with the officer’s commands. Bass started her vehicle, and as she drove away, turned her vehicle towards the officer, forcing him to move or be struck by the vehicle.
Carlsbad Police gave chase and pursued the vehicle for about 4 minutes. Speeds reached 80 mph as the vehicle traveled southbound along Carlsbad Boulevard, and entered the city of Encinitas.
The vehicle stopped at Leucadia Boulevard and North Coast Highway 101 in Leucadia, apparently having run out of gas. The driver continued to refuse to follow the officer’s commands to exit the vehicle, and one of the vehicles windows had to be broken to extract the driver.
The driver of the vehicle was arrested and transported to the hospital for treatment involving a complaint of injury based on the glass breakage of her vehicle. One of the officers was also treated for glass injuries sustained during the forced entry into the vehicle.
The suspect will be charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, felony evading, and driving under the influence of alcohol.