About 15 miles of Interstate 280 was not a movie set Thursday morning some minutes after 4:30 a.m., when officers from the California Highway Patrol corralled San Bruno resident Joseph John Brignolo, 60, in the northbound lane in Woodside and brought an end to his southbound trip.

Officers arrested Mr. Brignolo on drunken driving charges and booked him into San Mateo County jail, the CHP said. It was his second DUI arrest in three weeks, the other occasion being on March 7 in the same vehicle, but with the tire and wheel rim gone from the left front wheel. Only the brake rotor and calipers remained, the CHP said.

The CHP learned of the wrong-way driver at about 4:30 a.m. Thursday, March 21. The vehicle was spotted traveling south at about 70 mph in the northbound lane near the Trousdale Boulevard exit in Burlingame. The driver's journey ended 15 miles later, just south of Farm Hill Boulevard in Woodside, the CHP said.

One of three CHP units on the scene entered I-280 at Woodside Road and "encountered" the wrong-way vehicle, the report said. An officer in a patrol car managed to set up a roadblock, with emergency lights blazing and far enough ahead of Mr. Brignolo that he slowed and stopped his vehicle against the patrol car's modified front push-bumper. Neither vehicle was damaged, the CHP said.

"I'm very proud of the response from our Officers," said CHP Captain Mike Maskarich, "but the key to this arrest were the 911 callers. Today, they are also credited with saving a life. Thank you so much."

Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.