Modesto married couple involved in highway chase that ends with deadly crash in Ceres

A 32-year-old Modesto man died Sunday after he tried to ram his wife's vehicle and crashed his car along Highway 99 in Ceres, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Charles Donelson was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, said CHP Sgt. Shane McConnell. Donelson's wife, Jennifer Donelson, 36, of Modesto, was not injured in the incident, according to McConnell.

The deadly crash occurred about noon Sunday at the Highway 99 southbound exit ramp to Mitchell Road. McConnell said a witness first spotted the husband chasing his wife on Highway 99 in central Modesto.

Charles Donelson was driving a Honda four-door sedan. The witness told the CHP that the chase continued on the highway near Hatch Road, where the husband pulled in front of his wife's vehicle and appeared to hit the brakes on his car.

The witness then lost sight of the two vehicles. McConnell said the witness spotted the two vehicles again as they tried to exit the highway.

McConnell said Charles Donelson reportedly tried to ram his wife's vehicle as they got on the exit ramp to Mitchell Road. The husband lost control of his car, which went off the road and crashed along a freeway embankment.

Charles Donelson was ejected from the car during the crash. McConnell said an apparent domestic dispute led to the chase that ended in the fatal crash.

This story was originally published November 12, 2017 at 5:36 PM with the headline "Modesto married couple involved in highway chase that ends with deadly crash in Ceres."