Car chase ends in flames

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

A woman believed to be suicidal led authorities on a high-speed chase along Highway 101 and State Route 154 before running off the road, her car bursting into flames moments after officers pulled her from the wreckage, CHP officials said.

Just before 6 p.m. today, CHP officers spotted 31-year-old Sara Cornejo, of Ventura, speeding in a Nissan 240 Coupe along northbound Highway 101 just past Carrillo Street in Santa Barbara, authorities said. Cornejo took off once the officers flipped on their emergency lights, reaching speeds in excess of 90 mph, CHP Spokesman Don Clotworthy said.
Cornejo exited onto State Route 154, still hitting speeds higher than 90 mph before turning onto a private driveway near Windy Gap, striking a gate and fence post before plunging off the road about a mile down the driveway, Clotworthy said.
“Due to the extreme temperatures of the Nissan’s undercarriage, it immediately caught fire,” Clotworthy said. “One of the pursuing CHP officers, Officer Brian Barriga, exited the patrol car and ran up to the Nissan, removing Ms. Cornejo from the Nissan moments before it became fully engulfed in flames.”
Clotworthy said Cornejo is potentially suicidal and authorities took her to the Santa Barbara County Mental Health Department for further evaluation and treatment. Criminal charges against Cornejo, if any, are yet to be determined, he added.
Santa Barbara County firefighters arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire, which destroyed the Nissan, authorities said. Clotworthy said Officer Barriga was treated and released from Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital for a minor ankle injury, adding that Cornejo did not receive any injuries during the 10-minute chase or crash.