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Multiple collisions, dog leaps from stolen RV during wild California police chase

Posted at 3:18 PM, May 22, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-22 15:18:42-04

A woman accused of leading California Highway Patrol officers on a wild high-speed chase through the San Fernando Valley Tuesday evening in a stolen RV has been arrested.

The chase began in Santa Clarita, when police attempted to pull over the RV around 7 p.m., CNN affiliateKTLA reported.

“The RV was going at a high rate of speed, 40 to 50 mph on surface streets and up to 80 mph on the freeway,” CHP officer Stephan Brandt said in a statement to CNN. The highway patrol was alerted to the vehicle by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s station, Brandt said.

As the RV sped down one road, a dog leaped out onto the street and ran off. Another dog was seen trying to jump from the front windshield, which appeared to have been smashed.

The driver crashed into several vehicles during the chase. The chase ended with the RV slamming into the back of a white car in Los Angeles’ Tarzana neighborhood before striking a tree and stopping, video from CNN affiliate KABC showed.

The RV driver, identified by police as Julie Ann Rainbird, 52, fled on foot while the second dog followed behind.

Moments later, the suspect was tackled by officers while attempting to climb over a gate and taken into custody.

The driver of the white car was taken to a hospital with major injuries, according to the CHP arrest report for Rainbird. The driver’s name and details about injuries weren’t immediately available.

Rainbird, of Los Angeles’ Winnetka neighborhood, was arrested on preliminary charges including evading a peace officer and causing injury.

Rainbird suffered minor injuries, and her bail was set at $100,000, CHP said Wednesday.

The highway patrol said the RV was stolen, though it did not release details about where and how the RV allegedly was stolen.

Animal control officers collected the dogs with both suffering minor injuries, the CHP said. At least one dog was taken to a veterinary care center for treatment, KTLA reported.