(KGTV) - A motorhome led authorities on a pursuit from Mission Bay to the San Clemente area that ended in a standoff on Interstate 5 that backed up traffic for miles.
San Diego Police say the motorhome was being towed at around 4 a.m. because the registration was expired and it was parked in a closed city parking lot. Drivers in the vehicle sped off before they could be towed.
The motorhome ran through several red lights on Garnet Avenue before making its way onto northbound I-5.
As authorities pursued the vehicle on the freeway and out of San Diego County, California Highway Patrol officers placed spike strips on the roadway in the Carlsbad area.
The vehicle's tires were damaged by the spike strips, but kept going until finally stopping on the shoulder of I-5 near Avenida Magdalena.
A man and woman refused to come out of the motorhome, prompting authorities to close all northbound and southbound I-5 lanes in the area as law enforcement officers responded.
The couple -- and two dogs with them -- were taken into custody after a nearly 30-minute standoff.
All lanes were reopened to traffic just before 5:30 a.m.
San Diego's oversized vehicle ordinance was implemented to crack down on illegal parking on city streets. RV's and other oversized vehicles are not allowed to park on city streets between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Marla Lovell, a caregiver in the Midway neighborhood, says despite the law she constantly sees RV's parked for days.
"It's a problem," said Lovell. "They take up parking and some of the people that live in there are kind of shady, so it could be a safety concern for the residents, because it's an elderly residence complex."
SDPD Public Information Officer Scott Wahl says while the problem still exists the ordinance is working because it has given them a way to address the issue.
