Sacramento man driving forklift arrested after slow-speed chase

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

A low-speed overnight chase involving a man driving a forklift through a Sacramento neighborhood and onto the American River bike path ended with the man’s arrest early Monday.

Wayne Mathern, 47, of Sacramento, was taken into custody for evading and resisting arrest and vandalism, Sacramento police said.

The situation unfolded just before midnight when officers saw a forklift driving down Fair Oaks Boulevard near Howe Avenue, police said.

Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver of the forklift continued along the road, police said.

Police scanner traffic followed the low-speed chase as the driver cruised through the River Park neighborhood at just over 10 mph, according to the audio.

As sirens sounded throughout the night, area residents took to social media to find out what was unfolding while others witnessed the strange scene first hand.

“We looked out our window, and we could see what looked like a forklift going pretty slow, just kind of casually cruising down our road here, Teichert, and then there were seven police cars following behind” , said Chelsea Leber.

Police said the driver continued on the American River bike path and eventually became disabled. Mathern was taken into custody near the Howe Avenue river access point, police said.

It was not immediately clear how he gained access to the forklift or if it was stolen.

Sacramento County Superior Court records show Mathern was also charged earlier this month with misdemeanor battery on a peace officer and misdemeanor giving false information. The court’s website shows Mathern failed to appear for his arraignment on Monday, Oct. 16 in that case.