Pop star Britney Spears was taken into custody Wednesday night by the California Highway Patrol following a pursuit along Highway 101 in Ventura County, California.
Spears, 44, was handcuffed by CHP officers at approximately 9:30 p.m. local time after her vehicle was observed traveling erratically at high speed along the southbound US-101 freeway.
A CHP spokesperson confirmed that at approximately 8:48 p.m., a black BMW 430i was reported to the CHP’s Ventura Communications Center for driving erratically at a high rate of speed on southbound US-101.
The vehicle was pulled over near the Westlake Boulevard exit in Ventura County, said CNN.
Spears was the only occupant inside the car at the time of the stop.
Dispatch audio obtained by multiple news outlets captured officers coordinating the stop in real time as they tracked the vehicle’s movement along the freeway.
One dispatcher described the vehicle as “a black sedan, erratic braking, swerving and driving with no tail light.”
As the pursuit continued, an officer requested backup, saying: “Can we send all units down towards this area please.”
Officers later identified the vehicle in dispatch communications as a “2026 black BMW convertible.”
The pursuit began around 8:13 p.m. and involved multiple officers over the course of roughly an hour.
At approximately 9:13 p.m., dispatch confirmed the driver had stopped.
“Driver is out of the vehicle,” a dispatcher announced. Officers then made contact with Spears, with one officer stating in the recording: “Talking with the driver.”
Spears showed signs of impairment and submitted to a series of field sobriety tests.
The Rolling Stone reported that she was subsequently arrested for a violation of California Vehicle Code section 23152(g), driving under the influence of a combination of drugs and alcohol, and booked into the Ventura County Main Jail.
Following the traffic stop, officers discussed calling a Drug Recognition Expert, commonly referred to as a DRE.
DRE specialists are trained by the California Highway Patrol to evaluate whether a driver may be impaired.
CHP officers transported Spears to a hospital immediately after pulling her over in order to draw her blood.
She did not sustain any injuries, and the hospital visit was purely to determine her blood alcohol content.
TMZ reported that an unknown substance was allegedly discovered inside Spears’ vehicle and would be noted in the official arrest report.
Spears was booked at 3:02 a.m. and released around 6:07 a.m. on Thursday.
She is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on May 4.
Chemical tests are pending, and the incident remains under investigation, per NBC.
In a statement provided to multiple media outlets, a representative for Spears said: “This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable.”
“Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in the long-overdue changes that need to occur in her life,” they added.
“Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”
The statement continued: “Her boys are going to be spending time with her, and her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue plan to set her up for success and wellbeing.”
