A suspected drunk driver led police on a high-speed chase early Friday morning, reaching estimated speeds of 90 to 95 miles per hour on city streets before crashing into a San Carlos pole.
The chase begin at 2:09 a.m. when a patrol car spotted the man, whom San Diego Police said appeared to be in his 30s, driving about 60 miles per hour in the wrong direction at 1700 Market Street.
A police helicopter located the vehicle, and police cars soon engaged. At 2:18, the man was unable to turn a corner at Mission Gorge Rd. and Jackson Dr., and his Ford Crown Victoria hit a curb and traffic pole.
"Apparently, it looked like he was trying to make a southbound turn onto Jackson," said Lt. Jerry Hara of the San Diego Police Department. "He was going much too fast -- couldn't make it, so he skidded into the light post."
The vehicle's air bag deployed, and the man was loaded into an ambulance with what seemed to be minor cuts and bruising, Hara said.
An open Bud Light beer can was found resting in the car's front-seat console at the scene. The man was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence with an evading police felony charge.
