Hummer chase across 3 Valley counties included a quick gas stop, ended with spike strips
The driver of a yellow Hummer was in custody after leading police and sheriff’s deputies on a wild, 120-mile chase across three counties that only ended after his tires were flattened with spike strips and he had run multiple cars off the road, according to the Kings County Sheriff’s Office.
Nicholas Newsum was being held in Kings County Jail on a bail of $105,000 in the reckless rampage that covered parts of Kings, Tulare, and Kern counties. Pending charges include reckless driving, evading a peace officer, hit and run, and assault with a deadly weapon.
A spokesman for the Kings County Sheriff said the incident happened Friday afternoon, when Newsum nearly rear-ended a sheriff’s deputy in rural Kings County. Newsum took off at a speed near 100 mph, past Lemoore.
As the pursuit continued, the spokesman said Newsum:
- Drove through Visalia, Tulare and nearly to Porterville as he was tracked from the air by a Kings County airplane.
- Arrived in Delano, where he refueled, while narrowly escaping Delano police officers.
- Drove over spike strips on highways 99 and 166.
- Tried to kick out windows of a patrol car after he was taken into custody.
- Refused to perform a field sobriety test for arresting officers, but later provided a urine sample, which confirmed he had marijuana in his system.
The spokesman said a ground pursuit was called off several times because of the “erratic and unsafe way” Newsum was driving.