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LOS ANGELES – A Friday morning high-speed pursuit of a wrong-way driver ended in a violent multi-vehicle crash on the 405 Freeway in West Los Angeles, in one of the wildest pursuits to occur in the city that is known for its chases.
Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department said they responded to a radio call around 4:22 a.m. about a woman who backed into a patrol car at 4th Street and Rose Avenue in Venice. The pursuit was initiated just before 4:50 a.m. after the suspect refused to stop.Â
The two officers involved in the initial crash were taken to an area hospital in stable condition.Â
The pursuit continued on the northbound lanes of the 405 Freeway. SkyFOX flew over the police chase as the female suspect drove erratically trying to evade officers.Â
During the chase, officers attempted multiple PIT maneuvers to stop the suspect ahead of the morning rush hour.Â
While trying to escape authorities, the chase took a dangerous turn when the suspect made a U-turn and proceeded to drive in the wrong direction. A short time later, the suspect crashed at full speed into multiple vehicles near the Wilshire Boulevard exit.Â
After the crash, the suspect got out of the vehicle and climbed on top of the van before she was eventually taken into custody. She appeared to have suffered some head injuries in the collision.
The man who was struck head-on in a silver sedan was trapped in his vehicle until officers broke his window and rescued him. The crash victim, identified as Rudolph, told reporters at the scene that he’s “blessed” and is thankful to be alive.Â
Another crash victim, who was driving a black Volkswagen Golf GTI, said the driver’s side of the suspect’s vehicle was pinned against his.Â
“When that van came to a stop, I wasn’t sure who was inside, what they were going to do, if they were going to come out and try to steal my car,” David Hill said. “So, I immediately got out of my car and came to the shoulder and just waited while police apprehended that suspect.”Â
He was on his way to Thousand Oaks for work at the time of the crash.Â
It’s unclear how many vehicles were involved at this stage of the investigation. However, it appears the crash victims were triaged at the scene and did not require hospitalization.Â
The northbound lanes of the freeway continue to be impacted. Investigators have marked this as a crime scene and taped off the area. Â Aerial images from SkyFOX showed traffic was backed up for miles.Â
No further details were immediately available. Â
(source)