A Turlock woman is facing felony charges after taking a city truck on a joy ride.

Souvanna Khounlivong, 35, was charged with vehicle theft and evading arrest after leading Turlock police officers on a high-speed chase in the stolen truck.

The incident began around 9 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Linwood and Lander avenues. It was there that a city employee was doing some maintenance work when Khounlivong suddenly jumped into the truck and sped off, Turlock Police Lt. Ron Reid said.

Officers spotted Khounlivong at Golden State Boulevard and Canal Drive and attempted to pull her over, but instead she drove off, speeding down the city streets towards Highway 99.

Once on the freeway, she was reaching speeds of 80 mph with officer in close pursuit.

At the Fourth Street off-ramp in Ceres, Khounlivong suddenly pulled off the highway and stopped the vehicle at the first parking lot, Reid said. She was taken into custody without any further incident.

She offered no explanation for why she took the truck in the first place.