CLEARLAKE – Police had a short vehicle pursuit Thursday night while trying to pull over a teenage driver for speeding.

Radio reports indicated the chase took place on 18^th Avenue.

Lt. Mike Hermann of the Clearlake Police Department reported Friday that Officer Todd Miller was involved in the vehicle pursuit just after 8 p.m., chasing after a 17-year-old male juvenile in a Chrysler Fifth Avenue.

Hermann said Miller was trying to pull the teen over for speeding when the teen took off.

However, the pursuit was a short one; Hermann said it lasted less than a mile when the teen's car began to fishtail, clipped the front of Miller's car and then crashed into a fence and a parked vehicle in front of a residence.

The teen then reportedly jumped out of the car, according to police radio reports, and fled on foot towards 20^th Avenue, where he was pursued by Clearlake Police and a sheriff's deputy with a K-9.

Within about 15 minutes residents in the area pointed out that the juvenile was hiding in the area of 19^th Avenue and he was arrested.

Hermann said no one was hurt, and the police cruiser only received minor damage to the front bumper.

The juvenile male was charged with five different violations, ranging from felonies to misdemeanors, said Hermann.

It also was discovered that the teen wasn't a licensed driver, he said. Hermann didn't have information on who owned the car the teen was driving.

The police have had a lot of contact with the teen suspect before, although not recently, said Hermann.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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