In one of the wildest pursuits to occur in a city known for them, a woman in a van led authorities on a wild and dangerous chase through West Los Angeles Friday, striking at least one police cruiser before heading the wrong way on the San Diego (405) Freeway and slamming into multiple vehicles and being taken into custody.
At least two LAPD officers were injured, but not seriously, and no other injuries were reported.
The chase began when officers were sent to Fourth and Rose avenues in the Venice area about 4:20 a.m. on a report of a disturbance, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. 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 the 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 freeway crash. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel sent to the scene took one person to a hospital in unknown condition.
The woman’s name was not immediately available.
David Hill, who was on the freeway and witnessed the final crash, told reporters: “Out of nowhere that white van just came careening into us, hit the car in front of me and then slid into my car. … I could see the driver from my driver’s side window, she was pinned inside the van. I was terrified. So I immediately just jumped out of my car and came over to the shoulder because I didn’t know if that person was armed with a gun, a knife, what they wanted to do. It was pretty terrifying.”
Traffic lanes were blocked in the area, further complicating an already busy freeway commute. By mid-morning, two left lanes were opened. The entire freeway was reopened around 9:30 a.m.