Atwater police searching for minivan driver after chase

Officers are looking for the driver of a burgundy minivan who eluded capture over the weekend after a vehicle chase that reached speeds of 80 mph, according to the Atwater Police Department.

Officers abandoned the pursuit early Sunday for public safety reasons, Lt. Samuel Joseph said.

The vehicle, a Toyota Previa, was spotted just before 2 a.m. heading north on Sierra Vista Street “at a very slow speed” and did not have a rear license plate, police said.

Officers followed the vehicle onto Drakeley Avenue and tried to stop it, but the driver accelerated away, police said.

The vehicle, traveling at about 45 mph, made a sharp turn onto Maple Street and turned again a short time later onto Elm Street, nearly striking a parked vehicle, police said.

Officers said the vehicle slowed to about 15 mph, turned back onto Sierra Vista and accelerated again before turning onto Olive Avenue.

The vehicle passed through the area near the Dole Packaged Foods plant and onto Vine Street before turning onto Liberty Avenue, where the chase reached speeds of about 80 mph, officers said.

The chase wound through several more streets before officers called off the pursuit on Central Avenue.

A description of the driver was not available Monday.

This story was originally published May 4, 2015 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Atwater police searching for minivan driver after chase."