A man was killed and his 9-year-old daughter was critically injured in Santa Ana when their vehicle crashed a car into a utility pole during a police pursuit, authorities said Monday.
The incident began about 10:30 p.m. Sunday when officers responded to a call of a man brandishing a weapon outside a car in the 1600 block of South Main Street, said Santa Ana police Corporal Anthony Bertagna.
Officers spotted the car in the area and the suspect fled when police approached, later crashing into a utility pole in the 1400 block of West Warner Avenue, Bertagna said.
The 40-year-old Costa Mesa resident was pronounced dead at the scene.
Bertagna said officers did not know the man’s daughter was in the car until they approached the crash site and noticed she was trapped in the backseat. Firefighters used hydraulic equipment to remove the girl from the car as live wires sparked nearby, he said. She was taken to a hospital and listed in stable condition.
When authorities searched the car, they found $13,000, a half-pound to a pound of narcotics and a loaded weapon, Bertagna said, adding that the man was named in three no-bail warrants — all stemming from narcotics-related offenses.
The utility pole belonged to Southern California Edison, which reported on its website that 14 customers lost power and crews were working to restore service.
—City News Service