A grand theft suspect died Friday morning after crashing into a dump truck during a high-speed police chase on the 210 Freeway in La Crescenta.
The pursuit began shortly before 11 a.m. when Ventura County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of an ongoing theft at a Target store in Camarillo. The suspect, driving a black hatchback, fled the scene, leading authorities on a dangerous pursuit that spanned the San Fernando Valley.
According to officials, the suspect reached speeds exceeding 100 mph, weaving through surface streets and freeways before heading eastbound on the 210 Freeway.
Witnesses described the vehicle’s speed as “insanely fast,” with one onlooker stating, “I knew something bad was going to happen if he didn’t ease off the gas.”
The chase ended near the Ocean View Boulevard onramp when the suspect’s vehicle slammed into the rear of a moving dump truck. The collision mangled the car and brought the pursuit to a violent stop in the middle lanes.
“It sounded like a sonic boom,” said a witness. “You didn’t even need to see the crash to know it was going to be bad.”
California Highway Patrol officers immediately stopped all eastbound traffic and approached the wreckage on foot. Paramedics arrived shortly after, but the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities reported a significant amount of blood on the roadway. The driver of the dump truck was shaken but uninjured.
CHP Sgt. Dan Keene confirmed, “The suspect vehicle struck the rear of a dump truck, causing the driver to lose control. Fortunately, this was only a two-vehicle crash—considering the speeds involved, it could have been much worse.”
The crash prompted a lengthy investigation and cleanup effort, snarling traffic in the Montrose area for most of the day. All eastbound lanes of the 210 Freeway reopened around 7:30 p.m.
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