Traffic & Transit
Chase, Standoff Close U.S. Highway 101 In Sonoma County
Following an hours-long standoff, SWAT personnel used "non-lethal methods" to remove a Geyserville man from his car, the CHP said.
SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A driver who failed to stop for a traffic break Sunday morning in the unincorporated community of Geyserville and nearly struck a California Highway Patrol officer was after a pursuit and prolonged standoff that closed U.S. Highway 101 in Santa Rosa.
The CHP had temporarily stopped traffic around 6:20 a.m. on the highway in Geyserville during PG&E line work when a driver in a white Honda Civic drove around the closure and came close to hitting an officer.
A chase ensued southbound on 101 with the Honda exceeding 100 mph at times before being stopped by a spike strip at Shiloh Road and coming to a stop just north of River Road, south of the Sonoma County airport.
Find out what's happening in Healdsburgfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The highway was closed to traffic in both directions, but the driver refused to exit the Honda and after a long standoff in which negotiators from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office attempted convince him to come out, the Sonoma County SWAT team was summoned.
SWAT personnel determined the man was alone in the Honda and used "non-lethal methods" to remove him from the car, the CHP said in a release.
Find out what's happening in Healdsburgfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The driver, 56-year-old Eric Van Gelder of Geyserville, was taken to Sutter Hospital for medical clearance.
He will be charged with evading police, driving under the influence of drugs, and delaying/resisting arrest, the CHP said.
The CHP said that while the standoff was on the southbound side of 101, both directions were closed "for the safety of the public and personnel on scene."
The northbound lanes reopened at 9:18 a.m. and southbound lanes reopened at 9:31 a.m.
— Bay City News Service