Video: Driver Makes Deadly Decision in High-Speed Calif. Police Chase
A frantic stolen vehicle chase that led California police through two counties and reached speeds of 110 mph ended in a deadly crash Wednesday.
The pursuit happened at about 2 p.m. when the LAPD received calls concerning a stolen car near Santa Clarita, KTTV-TV reports. California Highway Patrol officers picked up the chase of the Honda CR-V SUV near the Newhall Pass as the driver erratically drove along Interstate 5, hitting speeds of roughly 130 mph, according to KCBS-TV.
The SUV continued to sped down the roadway, driving onto the shoulder to elude police. In Antelope Valley, the suspect began to weave around traffic, while officers slowed their pursuit once they entered a construction zone.
Crossing the Los Angeles County-Kern County line, the driver changed directions, heading north on the freeway toward the San Fernando Valley. The suspect then cut across four lanes at about 120 mph to try to reach an exit and lost control of the vehicle.
The SUV quickly drifted onto the exit ramp's shoulder at high speed and rolled over multiple times before it struck an overpass' cement pillar. Aerial video footage captured the violent crash.
The suspect was killed in the crash, and an officer described the scene to KTTV as "obvious death" when he responded to the incident. No details were released concerning the suspect's identity or how and when the SUV was stolen.
"This is not something that we want to have happen in a pursuit," CHP Officer D.C. Williams told KBAK-TV. "This is not the outcome that we ever want out of a pursuit. It's a very unfortunate circumstance. In pursuits, they can be very dangerous, not only for the people we're pursuing, but also for the officers."
No officers were injured in the chase. The incident is under investigation.
