SAN PABLO — A car briefly chased by San Pablo police before police said the pursuit was cancelled Thursday morning crashed, and a 29-year-old man was found lying dead outside the vehicle, authorities said.
Authorities were trying to determine if the man, a Richmond resident, was the driver of the car or a passenger. They did not identify him.
In a statement, San Pablo police Capt. Brian Bubar said a San Pablo police officer observed a 1997 green Nissan Altima speeding on San Pablo Dam Road toward El Sobrante about 12:22 a.m.
The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the Nissan, but the driver kept going and the officer started to pursue it, Bubar said.
The officer pursued the Nissan to the 4700 block of Appian Way in El Sobrante when the vehicle accelerated to speeds in excess of 90 mph, according to Bubar. The chase lasted about 30 seconds and about seven-tenths of a mile before the officer called it off, Bubar said.
“He de-activated all of his emergency equipment, pulled over and began to drive back to San Pablo,” Bubar said of the officer by phone Thursday. “He saw (the car) go around a bin at a turn, and that was the last he saw of it.”
At 12:33 a.m., about 11 minutes after the officer first spotted the Nissan, San Pablo police were notified that Contra Costa County sheriff’s deputies were responding to a rollover crash in the 5000 block of Appian Way. The car that rolled over was the same Nissan.
The crash site is less than a half-mile from where Bubar said the officer stopped pursuing.
At the crash site, deputies found the man dead outside the Nissan. No other occupants were located inside the vehicle or in the immediate area.
The man was confirmed to have multiple outstanding warrants for domestic violence and weapons violations, he said.
“I’m not sure we’ll know whether he was driving or a passenger until the investigation is complete,” Bubar said.
The California Highway Patrol investigation, which included a reconstruction of the crash, is likely to take weeks, the police captain said.
Per Contra Costa County protocol, San Pablo Police Department is jointly investigating the fatality with the District Attorney’s Office. The CHP and sheriff’s office are assisting.
Appian Way in El Sobrante remained closed for several hours Thursday morning as investigators processed the scene for evidence.
Police said it is an active investigation and anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the San Pablo Police Department at 510-215-3150.