18-year-old fled police for more than 24 kilometers on suspicion of drunkenness; 'cinematographic' accident left no residents injured
A high-speed police chase ended in a stunning crash in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles last week. After about 50 minutes of escape, a black pickup truck overturned, was thrown into the air and landed upside down on parked vehicles. Despite the violence of the impact, which turned the quiet residential road into a scene of destruction, no resident of the region was injured.
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The incident began shortly before 1 a.m., when Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers tried to approach the driver of the pickup truck on suspicion of drunk driving. The driver ignored the stop order and started a flight that extended for about 24 kilometers. The outcome occurred when the suspect ran a red light, collided with a black sedan and lost control, starting a series of rollovers.
Residential security cameras recorded the exact moment of the collision, which occurred around 1:50 am. The deafening bang caused by the fall of the truck woke up the frightened neighborhood. In an interview with local broadcaster NBC 4 News, resident Lance Reyes, owner of a white Kia Soul crushed in the incident, described the unbelievable scene he encountered on the street: “I was in shock. It looked like the car had fallen out of the sky and just crushed everything. It was the loudest noise I’ve ever heard in my life.” In addition to Reyes’ Kia, a silver Toyota Corolla suffered irreparable structural damage.
The driver responsible for the accident, identified as an 18-year-old youth, was promptly rescued by rescue teams. He was taken to an area hospital for treatment of his injuries, where he remained in custody. The Los Angeles police continue to work on the investigation of the case to gather evidence and formalize criminal charges against the driver. At the same time, police authorities are trying to confirm reports that an alleged passenger would be on board the truck at the time of the escape, determining whether he managed to escape before the arrival of reinforcements or if he has already been detained.
