Press Releases

Press Release - UPD Case #24-0115 - Vehicle Pursuit DUI

Date: 01-18-2024
Location: 2800 North State Street, Ukiah, CA
Victim(s): 22-year-old Ukiah female
25-year-old Ukiah female
Suspect(s): Aaron Brian Norbury (38-year-old Ukiah male)
Violation(s): 2800.4 VC – Fleeing/Evading Law Enforcement in opposite lane (Felony)
23153(a) VC – Driving under the Influence with injuries (Felony)
23103(a) VC – Reckless Driving (Misdemeanor)
14601.2(a) VC – Driving with Suspended Driver’s License for DUI (Misdemeanor)


On 01-18-2024, at approximately 2101 hours, a Ukiah Police Department (UPD) Officer was on uniform patrol
in a marked UPD patrol vehicle, traveling northbound in the 1000 block of North State Street. The Officer
heard a loud engine and screeching tires west of his location near Elm Street. As the Officer traveled
northbound he looked to the west and observed a maroon, Chevrolet Tahoe traveling northbound through the
intersection of Garrett Drive and Elm Street at an extremely high rate of speed.


The Officer continued northbound on N. State Street, and turned westbound onto Bricarelli Drive. The Officer
again observed the Chevrolet Tahoe traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on Elm Street. As the Officer
turned northbound onto Elm Street he observed the Chevrolet Tahoe run the stop sign (violation of 22450(a)
VC) at the intersection of Elm Street and Empire Drive, turning eastbound towards N. State Street. Due to the
high rate of speed the suspect was traveling, the Officer lost sight of the vehicle as he approached the
intersection of Empire Drive and N. State Street. Shortly after losing sight of the Chevrolet Tahoe, the Officer
observed headlights traveling northbound through the parking lot of Honey Fluff Donuts (1296 N. State Street).
The Chevrolet Tahoe exited the parking lot onto Empire Drive and narrowly avoided colliding into the
Officer’s patrol vehicle.


The Officer activated his overhead emergency lights and sirens in an attempt to conduct a traffic enforcement
stop on the Chevrolet Tahoe, for reckless driving and the stop sign violation. The driver, later identified as
Aaron Norbury, failed to yield to the Officer’s lights and sirens and traveled back westbound onto Empire
Drive, then turned southbound onto Elm Street. Norbury turned eastbound onto Bricarelli Drive then turned
northbound onto N. State Street. The Officer repeatedly activated his sirens in an attempt to gain compliance
from Norbury with negative results.


Norbury turned into the parking lot of the Raley’s Supermarket (1315 N. State Street) just north of the
Speedway Gas Station (1301 N. State Street), then exited the parking lot on the north side of In-N-Out Burger
(1351 N. State Street). Norbury accelerated rapidly northbound on N. State Street swerving all over the
roadway displaying driving patterns of a subject operating a vehicle under the influence.


The UPD Officer requested the assistance from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) and California
Highway Patrol (CHP) as he pursued Norbury. Norbury accelerated in an attempt to elude the Officer. As
Norbury continued northbound, he passed Hensley Creek Road and the roadway took a slight right-sweeping
turn near Thurston Auto Plaza (2800 N. State Street). As the UPD officer approached Thurston Auto Plaza, he
noticed the Chevrolet Tahoe and a white Audi sedan had collided, causing the Chevrolet Tahoe to roll over the
top of the Audi sedan, where both vehicles came to rest on the west sidewalk of N. State Street. Both vehicles
had extensive damage.


The two Ukiah females were located inside of the Audi sedan with moderate to severe injuries. Ukiah Valley
Fire Authority (UVFA) was requested to respond, as well as an air ambulance. The driver of the Audi sedan
was transported to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Emergency Room for treatment for her injuries. The
passenger of the Audi sedan was airlifted to an out-of-county hospital after she had to be extricated from the
vehicle. CHP assisted UPD and conducted the traffic collision portion of the investigation.


Norbury sustained minor injuries, consisting of small lacerations on his face, and he appeared to be heavily
intoxicated. Norbury displayed objective symptoms of alcohol intoxication, to include red watery eyes, slurred
speech, and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his person. A search warrant was obtained for
a blood toxicology on Norbury, which was executed at Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Emergency Room. After
being medically cleared for incarceration, Norbury was transported to the Mendocino County Jail to be booked
for the above listed charges. Due to Norbury’s prior criminal history and the severity of the crimes he
committed during the pursuit, the UPD Detective Bureau will be seeking a bail enhancement for the suspect
and is actively investigating this incident.


The Ukiah Police Department would like to thank the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, the California
Highway Patrol, the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority, and Adventist Health Ukiah Valley personnel for their
assistance.


As always, UPD’s mission is to make Ukiah as safe a place as possible. If you would like to know more about
crime in your neighborhood, you can sign up for telephone, cellphone, and email notifications by clicking the
Nixle button on our website; www.ukiahpolice.com.