Fortuna Police Department press release: 

On July 30 at about 10:19 p.m. a Fortuna Police officer observed a subject driving a black colored 2012 Dodge Challenger eastbound in the 1100 block of Main Street accelerating as it turned southbound onto 12th Street, losing control of the rear of the vehicle, swerving back and forth on the roadway, turning and continuing eastbound on Main street driving recklessly.

The officer drove in behind the vehicle to attempt a traffic enforcement stop. As the officer did this, the vehicle continued to drive recklessly, swerving on the roadway and narrowly missing the curb as it turned southbound on Fortuna Blvd.

The officer attempted the traffic enforcement stop in the 300 block of south Fortuna Blvd. The vehicle fled, attempting to evade the officer, driving into the oncoming traffic lane, then drove partially on the center median through a construction zone and through road construction markers into oncoming traffic again forcing vehicles to move to avoid collision. The officer discontinued the vehicle pursuit for the public’s safety, as the vehicle was attempting to evade law enforcement in oncoming traffic lanes. 

Moments later another Fortuna Police officer observed the vehicle traveling from School Street onto northbound Rohnerville Road. At this point the vehicle was traveling in the proper lane at a high rate of speed. Due to this, the officer attempted a traffic enforcement stop and the vehicle continued to fail to yield to law enforcement.

Officers pursued the vehicle from Rohnerville Road onto North Loop Road, where it drove down a driveway over a grass covered area between houses where it narrowly missed colliding with a house.  

As the vehicle continued to flee on Loop Road, due to the driver’s disregard for public safety and the risk to the public the driver presented, officers coordinated the deployment of “stop sticks” in the area of Loop Road and Loop Court.

Officers deployed the “stop sticks” successfully on the passenger side tires of the vehicle. The driver continued to flee driving the partially disabled vehicle at much slower speeds while officers pursued. The pursuit continued onto Highway 101 to the Loleta Drive off ramp where it turned around driving back into Fortuna, where it the driver yielded in the 100 block of Main Street. 

Officers took the driver, the sole occupant of the vehicle, into custody without further incident. The driver was identified as Thongsouk Boureuang (age 37) of Sacramento, California. Bouneruang was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for the violation of 2800.2 CVC and 594(b)(2) PC. 

Vehicle pursuits require officers to coordinate with Dispatch and other officers, communicating information on the suspect vehicle, driver, locations, speeds, direction of travel, roadway conditions and more all while continuing to evaluate the safety risks to the public, themselves, fellow officers and the suspect fleeing, all while actively pursuing the suspect vehicle. 

The Fortuna Police Department appreciates the quality of officers we have who make these decisions and safely removed this reckless driver from the roadway.