Oakland driver flees CHP, later crashes into car with kids inside

OAKLAND, Calif. - Police are investigating a crash in Oakland that seriously injured two children and an adult after the driver earlier took off from California Highway Patrol officers.

Driver was reckless, CHP says

What we know:

The collision occurred just after 6 p.m. Thursday at 105th Avenue and Pearmain Street, according to the CHP.

Officers said they attempted to stop a reckless driver who ran a red light. However, the driver fled. CHP officials said the pursuit was quickly called off, and the agency instead deployed an airplane to track the suspect vehicle.

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With no CHP officers behind him, the driver crashed into another car carrying an adult and two children. Oakland firefighters said one of the children was unconscious when emergency crews arrived and was rushed to the hospital. The conditions of the other two occupants were not immediately available.

The CHP arrested the driver, James Jovan Thomas, 35, on suspicion of DUI, evading and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

An investigative source tells KTVU the suspect obeyed traffic laws after the pursuit ended but for some reason, decided to ignore the stop sign at the crash site.

Police pursuit policies

Dig deeper:

The crash comes as debate intensifies in Oakland over police pursuit policies and when officers should be allowed to chase suspects. In recent months, community members, law enforcement agencies, and political leaders have discussed whether to expand current restrictions.

"The pendulum should go pursuit, because the police, OPD and highway patrol, should have the option," said Oakland City Councilmember Ken Houston. "When you have the option, see, people think twice. ‘Oh, they can chase us.’ They might not do it. When you have no option. 'Hey, they can't chase us, No, I'm outta here.'"

Cat Brooks, executive director of the Anti-Police Terror Project, opposes expanding pursuit policies, arguing they create more danger than they prevent.

"It inherently makes communities less safe," Brooks said. "The likelihood that people are going to get hit, disabled or killed happens more often than it actually solves crimes."

Oakland mayoral candidates Loren Taylor and Barbara Lee also weighed in on the controversy. 

"We have to avoid loss of life, bodily injury that happens when you have cars flying at high speeds, and at the same time, we still need to be able to hold offenders accountable," Taylor said.

In a statement, Lee said, "It’s a tragedy when anyone is harmed in our neighborhoods, especially children. Anyone entering Oakland who commits a crime should know that if they break the law, they will be punished. There are consequences to violence, and we must also work to ensure that vehicle pursuits don’t result in further harm to human life."

Oakland police are currently permitted to pursue suspects in homicide cases or those suspected of serious crimes. However, the policy limits pursuits of lower-level offenses such as theft.

Late last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom urged Oakland police to change the policy.

"You could run a red light, you can come close to sideswiping a school bus during the morning hours, right in front of a police officer... and the pursuit policy in Oakland says we cannot pursue that suspect," Newsom said at a public safety event.

Brooks criticized Newsom’s stance. "I'm not quite sure how the pendulum picked up Gavin Newsom and moved him so far to the right... but it’s pretty disappointing," she said.

Thursday’s pursuit was handled by the CHP, which is not bound by Oakland’s pursuit policy.

Authorities are continuing to investigate and are awaiting an update on the condition of the children injured in the crash.