Suspect dies after fleeing stolen L.A. police car during dramatic chase

When the suspect, who had stolen a California Highway Patrol cruiser, jumped out of the moving car, a police pursuit in Los Angeles came to an abrupt and tragic halt.

On Tuesday, the unnamed male was traveling westbound on the 138 Freeway at a speed of around 70 mph. As his momentum slammed his head into the tarmac he was knocked out, and police gave chest compressions at the scene before he was taken by EMS to a local hospital. Police later verified that the individual had passed away as a result of his injuries.

While highway patrol officers chased the stolen car through the Lancaster region, having started close to the intersection of Hasley Canyon Road and the 5 Freeway shortly before midday, Fox 11 followed live. The motive for the suspect’s theft of the CHP cruiser is “unclear.” When a spike strip caused one of the back tires to go flat and the driver to lose control, the suspect got out of the car. The unmanned vehicle continued on apace before smashing into an electric post in a grassy area next to the motorway.