A nerve-wracking high-speed chase unfolded live on air after a Los Angeles woman led police on a wild chase before crashing in a dramatic fatal accident.
The hour-long joyride gripped viewers through the busy California city as a reckless, unidentified woman, reportedly in her 30s, stole a vehicle and took off.
The first reports of the pursuit came in around 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon after Los Angeles police responded to reports of a stolen Honda CR-V just 15 minutes earlier.
An unidentified woman in her 30s allegedly stole a car in Los Angeles before leading police on a wild chase that ended in a fatal crash. The driver reached speeds of more than 210 km/h
About 40 miles from her starting point in the Antelope Valley, the careless driver attempted to cross multiple lanes while traveling at 120 miles per hour, but then lost control.
The woman was captured on surveillance video before driving onto the 5 Freeway
From there, the crazed driver led LAPD officers to the heavily trafficked 14 Freeway near Santa Clarita before taking off and driving north on the 5 Freeway.
Almost the entire incident was broadcast live on television, as the crazed driver did almost everything to evade the police in their relentless pursuit.
The woman reached speeds of more than 130 miles per hour, as the broadcast shows her driving onto the hard shoulder of the road, hitting traffic cones and taking sharp, dangerous turns.
After a nearly half-hour failed chase by the LAPD, the California Highway Patrol joined the now-viral chase.
The chase continued along the 5 into Kern County at speeds still exceeding 100 miles per hour, police say. The driver then turned around near Tehachapi and headed south on 5.
About 40 miles from her starting point in the Antelope Valley, the careless driver attempted to cross multiple lanes while traveling at 120 miles per hour. She then ended up in the dirt on the side of the road and lost control.
As police gave chase, the woman did almost everything she could to avoid her pursuers. She swerved hastily onto the shoulder of the road, crashing into traffic cones and taking sharp, dangerous turns.
The car twisted and turned several times before finally coming to a stop after colliding with a concrete pillar under an overpass
The disturbing crash, all captured on video, left the driver dead, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office
The car twisted and turned several times before finally coming to a stop after colliding with a concrete pillar under an overpass.
The disturbing crash, all captured on video, left the driver dead, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
“Unfortunately, the vehicle was traveling too fast to negotiate the curve at the transition from 5 South to 138 and crashed,” CHP said at a late afternoon news conference.
‘This is not something we want. Very unfortunate circumstances.’
No one else was injured during the chase. CHP Central Division and CHP’s Special Accident Unit are investigating the crash.