CHP patrol car in San Francisco, Calif. on Wednesday, June 26, 2014.
A man has been pronounced dead after jumping out of a stolen California Highway Patrol (CHP) cruiser car during a high-speed chase in northern Los Angeles County.
CBS Los Angeles reports that the incident unfolded on Tuesday after authorities received a call regarding a reckless driver near Santa Clarita, Calif. A short while later, the driver ultimately crashed his Toyota Corolla—though he managed to somehow steal the responding officer’s CHP cruiser.
The ramped-up chase then continued as the driver headed towards Lancaster. Numerous spike strips were deployed to try and incapacitate the vehicle, which was cited as exceeding speeds of over 100 mph.
Additionally, officers were particularly concerned about the firearms that were stored in the car, though they were locked and inaccessible.
Eventually, the driver brought the matter to an unexpected end after he opened up the door and jumped out of the car mid-chase.
As a result, CHP officer Alec Pereyda noted that the suspect “suffered major injuries.”
“While still in pursuit and at high speeds, for unknown reasons, the driver of the patrol vehicle jumped from the vehicle and suffered major injuries.”
After the suspect jumped out of the car, officers dragged him off the roadway and began to provide first aid. As for the stolen vehicle, it came to a halt after crashing into a telephone pole and veering off into a grassy area.
Despite their efforts, authorities noted that the driver succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital. He has not yet been publicly identified.
We should also add that officer Pereyda said, while he doesn’t know “what happened in this circumstance,” it’s “standard procedure” for officers to lock their cars while they’re running.
There are no further updates to the situation at this time, and we send our condolences to the deceased man’s family.
