Apparent chase in Vista ends with pedestrian badly injured, drivers arrested

A pedestrian suffered major injuries and multiple vehicles were damaged after they were struck during a series of hit-and-run crashes in Vista on Sunday, sheriff’s officials said.

The crashes occurred during a chase between a Toyota Sequoia — driven by a 41-year-old woman — and a Jeep Cherokee — driven by a 44-year-old man — near Calle Jules and Via Felicidad around 5:55 p.m., Sgt. Eric Cottrell said.

Investigators said the SUV was “aggressively pursuing” the Jeep for reasons that were unclear Wednesday.

The chase between the two ended when the SUV, after hitting the pedestrian and several parked cars, collided head-on with another car and became inoperable, Cottrell said.

The Sequoia’s driver got out of the crashed SUV and jumped into the Jeep’s passenger seat, sheriff’s officials said. The Jeep then took off.

Paramedics took the pedestrian to a hospital, Cottrell said.

On Wednesday, deputies arrested the Sequoia’s and the Jeep’s suspected drivers on Mission Bay Drive near Clairemont Drive, investigators said.

The woman was booked on multiple counts, including suspicion of hit-and-run, assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving. The Jeep’s driver was booked on suspicion of accessory and aiding and abetting.

No other information was immediately available.