A newly-released video has provided more details about the high-speed pursuit that occurred earlier this week in northern Los Angeles County, where a man stole a police car and led authorities on a wild chase before dying in the hospital.
The video, obtained by FOX 11, shows the suspect’s reckless driving in a red sedan on the 5 Freeway in Castaic. He crashed into the median divider, sideswiped a semi-truck, and then crashed again into the median divider. After jumping over the median divider, he stole a patrol vehicle that had responded to the area. The chase came to a dramatic end on the eastbound lanes of the 138 Freeway when the suspect jumped out of the moving vehicle, which was traveling at nearly 50 mph.
Officers attempted to revive the suspect, but he died in the hospital shortly after the incident. Meanwhile, questions have arisen regarding the security of police vehicles, as the suspect was able to jump into an unlocked, running patrol car and drive away.
According to the California Highway Patrol, patrol cars are supposed to be locked with the engine running. The suspect was not able to gain access to several assault-type weapons that were locked in the patrol car, but the incident highlights a potential security flaw in the system.
The tragedy has sparked an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, and the identity of the suspect has not yet been released. This latest development sheds light on the dangers that police officers face in their line of duty and the importance of ensuring their safety and the safety of the public.
