A high-speed chase of an 18-wheeler believed to have been stolen from a hazardous waste disposal company ended after three hours with the driver surrendering at a rest stop, according to a report.
The driver pulled the big rig off Interstate 10 at a California rest stop and surrendered to police, according to The Desert Sun.
“We have one in custody,” California Highway Patrol Officer Darren Meyer told the Desert Sun. “It was a stolen vehicle.”
The truck bears the logo of ACT Enviro, a waste disposal company. According to its website, the company handles several forms of hazardous waste up to and including nuclear materials.
RAW VIDEO: California tractor-trailer chase comes to an end; suspect arrested
Officer Jodi Miller with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department told Global News the tractor trailer was reported stolen in Barstow, Calif. at 8:44 a.m. PT Tuesday.
Deputies found the vehicle in the unincorporated area of Apple Valley near the town of Victorville at around 10:30 a.m.
A sheriff’s deputy attempted to pull over the big rig as it made its way down 15 Freeway, but the driver refused to yield.
Multiple cruisers with the California Highway Patrol were seen pursuing the vehicle as it made its way onto the eastbound lanes of the 60 Freeway in the Palm Springs area east of Los Angeles.
According to NBC News Channel 4, the 18-wheeler frequently hit speeds of between 60 to 75 miles per hour (94 to 121 kilometres an hour).
Police cannot confirm the contents of the tractor trailer, but told Global News the truck in question does bear hazardous material placards.
The L.A. Times reports the driver spoke with California Highway Patrol officers, informing them that he “didn’t want to go back to jail.”