A speeding pickup truck driver traveling the wrong way on a freeway slammed head-on into a car late Friday morning during a pursuit that wound through South Los Angeles neighborhood.
The chase began around 10 a.m. after a report of a stolen vehicle and ended nearly two hours later when the driver and passenger tried to run from the pickup.
The pickup was in the Pomona area before exiting from the freeway and onto streets in the South Los Angeles area, where a series of harrowing moments unfolded. The driver of the Chevy was traveling at high speeds through business districts and residential areas, at times on the wrong side of the street and on sidewalks.
Wrong-way pursuit driver slams head-on into car on 110 Freeway in South LA area. https://t.co/iZ65MpqeV4 pic.twitter.com/0kbI8umiXM— NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) May 22, 2020
The driver hit a spike strip and skidded to a brief stop, but continued in the same neighborhood before entering the 110 Freeway. The pickup was speeding the wrong way when it crashed head-on into a car near an entrance ramp.
Details about injuries were not immediately available, but paramedics were called to the scene.
Pursuit driver in a pickup hits a spike strip in the South LA area. https://t.co/iZ65MpqeV4 pic.twitter.com/azsMbHk0jW— NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) May 22, 2020
The driver was boxed in behind another pickup truck on a narrow street, but rammed into the rear of the vehicle, leaving behind a cloud of tire smokes from its spinning rear wheels. Moments later, a rear tire shredded off its rim.
Pursuit driver rams another pickup truck in South LA. https://t.co/iZ65MpqeV4 pic.twitter.com/rKxIDUlJPa— NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) May 22, 2020
At some point, someone threw an object at the pickup, leaving an orange splatter pattern on the windshield. It's not clear what was thrown at the pickup.
The chase ended when the driver, wearing a cowboy hat, and passenger ran from the car in the residential area. They were immediately chased down by officers and taken into custody.
