Authorities are still trying to sort out the circumstances behind a chase, and barricade situation on the Central Coast which led to a fatal apartment complex fire.
It started Tuesday afternoon, when CHP officers tried to stop a vehicle in the Santa Maria area for a traffic violation. The driver evaded officers.
They later found the vehicle parked, and traced its registration to an apartment complex on the 600 block of Sunrise Drive. When police arrived, they discovered a man and woman barricaded in an apartment, but had to retreat because the unit was on fire.
After Santa Maria firefighters knocked down the flames, they found an unconscious man and woman inside. The man couldn’t be saved, but the woman was revived.
Two firefighters were hurt. The fire damaged multiple units in the complex, and displaced about ten people.
