A woman accused of leading police on a wild pursuit from Venice to West Los Angeles, leading to a wrong-way crash in which the van she was driving plowed head-on into stopped traffic on the San Diego (405) Freeway, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to more than a dozen felonies.
Lisa Ann Heflin, 41, was charged with 10 counts of assault upon a police officer, four counts of assault with a deadly weapon and single counts of fleeing a pursuing officer while driving recklessly and hit-and-run resulting in property damage, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
She is due back at the Airport Branch Courthouse on June 20, when a date will be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for her to stand trial. She remains jailed in lieu of $695,000.
The bizarre chase began around 4:30 a.m. Friday when officers responded to a disturbance call in the area of Fourth and Rose avenues in Venice. Residents in the area told reporters there is a homeless encampment of people living in their vehicles in the area.
When police responded, the suspect drove off in a white van, striking an LAPD patrol car along the way. The Los Angeles Fire Department initially reported that four officers were examined for injuries with one being taken to a hospital. Police said later that two officers were transported.
At times, the driver aimed the van directly at LAPD cruisers, at one point appearing to literally chase a cruiser down a street, and at another point attempting to back the van into another cruiser.
Police continued efforts to stop the van driver, at times using PIT maneuvers that damaged the vehicle, but the suspect turned in circles and kept going, driving the wrong way onto the northbound 405 freeway lanes multiple times and speeding away at nearly 100 mph with smoke coming from under the hood.
At one point, the driver appeared to intentionally steer into an oncoming vehicle, then back away and keep driving. As she continued driving south in the northbound freeway lanes, she weaved through traffic and eventually slammed into multiple vehicles and a big rig, bringing the pursuit to an end near the Wilshire Boulevard exit.
The woman, wearing a white tank top and appearing to have blood on her face, scrambled out of the van and climbed onto the roof of the vehicle. She then crawled onto the hood of the big rig where she was eventually taken into custody.
No serious injuries were reported from the chase.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Heflin faces up to 22 years and eight months in prison if convicted.