A police pursuit that began in Imperial Beach brought Interstate 5 to a standstill on Monday, causing delays of up to two hours and traffic chaos described by authorities as a “nightmare.”

The incident started when a driver in a Toyota Corolla, reportedly driving recklessly, failed to comply with a traffic stop. The chase continued onto I-5, where the California Highway Patrol (CHP) took over. Despite deploying a spike strip, the suspect kept driving until officers performed a PIT maneuver near State Route 56, forcing the vehicle to a stop.

The driver, allegedly under the influence of a substance, refused to exit the vehicle, prompting officers to use gas to safely detain him. He was transported to a hospital, though details about his condition have not been released.

The closure of both directions of the freeway caused long backups stretching from Solana Beach to the I-5 and I-805 interchange. Lanes began reopening around 1:00 p.m., but the traffic impact lingered throughout much of the day.