Rape suspect takes poison

A MAN suspected of raping a 14-year-old he lured to a motel via social media was fleeing from police on a Southern California freeway yesterday when he drank cyanide as he drove and killed himself.

The man’s car careered down Highway 101 in Ventura before crashing. Officers had been chasing Jonathan Hanks, 33, of Camarillo, for 10km when they saw him drink from a bottle. His car then drove on to the right shoulder of the freeway, drifted across all northbound lanes and then came to a stop after bumping the centre median.