Carlie Shultz, an 18 year old Spring Valley woman, was recently arrested and charged with reckless evading a peace officer. San Diego 10 News reported that a California Highway Patrol officer initially pulled Shultz over for a traffic violation when he observed her speeding on Highway 54. The patrol officer reported that she had been traveling over 120 miles per hour. Shultz, however, did not comply with the patrol officer’s request and led the officer on a high speed chase which ended on Interstate 5 when Shultz lost control of the vehicle and crashed. She walked away from the crash uninjured.

Under California Vehicle Code 2800.2(a), reckless attempts to flee from or evade a peace officer is a crime that is punishable by fines of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment in state or county jail for up to one year. A person is deemed to have been reckless if they drove the vehicle in a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. The punishment for this crime is likely to be more severe in situations where there is property damage, injury to another person, or extremely high speeds.

Reckless evading is a serious charge to face. Make sure you speak with an experienced criminal defense lawyer if you are charged with this offense. At Wallin & Klarich, our criminal defense lawyers in San Diego and throughout Southern California have represented those charged with reckless evading for over 30 years. We will stand by your side and assist you in avoiding jail time and developing your defense. Call us at 888-280-6839 or visit us online at www.wklaw.com. We will be there when you call.