LANCASTER – Criminal charges were filed Wednesday against the man accused of leading officers on a televised high-speed chase Monday from Northridge to Palmdale, where he surrendered after a standoff that lasted more than a half-hour.
Sean Christopher Druschel, 33, pleaded not guilty to one felony count each of fleeing a pursuing peace officer’s motor vehicle while driving recklessly and fleeing a pursuing officer’s motor vehicle and driving against traffic, along with two felony counts each of assault upon a peace officer or firefighter and assault with a deadly weapon.
He is also charged with one misdemeanor count each of driving under the influence of a drug and driving when privilege is suspended or revoked, and two misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run driving resulting in property damage.
The chase began shortly after 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, when police tried to stop the driver of a Ford F-150 pickup truck for reckless driving. He allegedly tried to ram a police car, then got onto the Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway near Chatsworth, going west toward Simi Valley.
California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles Police Department helicopters tracked the truck as it reached reported speeds of 135 mph on the northbound Golden State (5) and Antelope Valley (14) freeways. At times, the suspect drove on the center diver and on the right shoulder.
The truck exited the 14 Freeway on Avenue N and proceeded westbound on the wrong side of the road, failing to stop at red lights, and reaching speeds of 120 mph, according to the CHP.
At one point, the truck spun out of control, and CHP attempted to disable the spinning vehicle by ramming the rear of the truck, CHP officials said. The suspect managed to keep going, and the pursuit continued.
Near the end of the chase, a female passenger was let out of the truck in a gated community. She was detained for questioning but was viewed as a witness, rather than a suspect.
Soon after, the suspect’s truck collided with a car and came to a halt near the intersection of Highland Avenue and Rancho Vista Boulevard. Broadcast footage showed smoke coming from the cab of the truck as authorities waited for the suspect to surrender, which he did around 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23,
After pleading not guilty to all charges Wednesday, Druschel was ordered to be held in lieu of $290,000 bail. A preliminary hearing was set for March 9 at the Antelope Valley courthouse to determine if there is enough evidence to require Druschel to stand trial.
[Information via City News Service and a California Highway Patrol report.]
Previous related story: High-speed chase ends in Palmdale, driver arrested
Chrystal says
Don’t know what was going through this guys head. The whole thing is messed up. However, I looked him up on FB out of curiousity, and he has a kid. So sad when children are involved :(
Danny says
Wish they would of shot him or he crashed and died.
Rego says
That’s right Selma.
Mark says
You never plead guilty at first, it cost so much more time and money to go to trial. Normally the DA will give you a plea deal to save that time, money and energy of going to trial, and the DA gets a win automatically. He might go from 10 years to 2 years with the plea. The better your lawyer the better your sentence.
Really! says
He wasn’t shot because he’s white!
wild says
I didn’t know ford could even make a vehicle do 90…LOL
Ron says
How do u plead Not Guilty after u were shown all over the tv . It was u coming out of the truck. Who was it youre evil twin?
Irena says
When someone pleads not guilty, it is because they want a trial in front of a jury. There are also technicalities that can get someone off during the trial.
valleygirl says
How does this ex-con loser get to plead innocent when we all watched it unfold? Wasting our tax dollars yet again.
Mark says
This punk endangered thousands of people. It should be within LEO’s rights to shoot him dead to stop the vehicle.
Greg says
In that case… manufacturers, government leaders, and many others would fall under that statement.
Rankin says
Good job officers! And no one injured…..
saint says
Not guilty!!! Bail 290,000.. what is the law and all officials waiting for!!! Wrong way driving and kill inoccent people by this jackasses trying to get away from police..throw the book at this IDIOTS!!! Place them underneath the jail…..
Tylor says
That 135 is [removed] those trucks have governors to stop them around 90mph unless the computer was modified
Just some info. says
He made it from Simi valley to Lancaster in 45 min in heavy traffic that was backed up 2 hours from that location.
[removed] says
Why would someone by a truck that limits it to no more than 90mph lol. Cite your sources on this claim.
Irena says
Many cars have them. Also known as speed limiters. My Cadillac has one set to 95 from the manufacturer.
Twocents says
First off meat, learn to spell… It’s buy not by and Site not cite. The only source needed to know that some cars have governors on them that limit the vehicles speed would be to simply ask a GMC,Ford or Chevy truck owner, (just to name a few companies) which their are plenty. Including myself and yes in fact they do. Unless you “buy” an aftermarket chip that tells the onboard computer not to limit your speed, then a lot of somewhat older to even newer vehicles will not go past a certain speed. I own a 1999 Gmc and I can’t go faster then 95 mph…So in this case you need to pipe down big guy and listen for a change. Don’t attack someone out of stupidity. Specially when you yourself have no clue what your talking about.
FYI says
You can purchase tuners or programmers to over ride the speed limiter!
hence making the “governor” USELESS.
Just Saying says
A 2004 stock F150 with a 5.4 V8, will do 105mph, or maybe 110mph if he had squeezed it a little more as shown in this YouTube video.
http://youtu.be/tZBgmktw8-8
I had to guess on the year based on the view from the rear of the truck. To hit 135mph, mods are needed, but most F150s should hit 100 or a little over out of the box.
ridiculous says
Really!!!! Not Guilty!! It was a televised chase that lasted more than an hour. It resulted in more than on collision. Not Guilty!!! I am mortified at the complete disregard for human life!!! I say lock him up and toss the key… Then tell me NOT GUILTY!!!!