The man behind the wheel of a stolen CHP vehicle died after jumping out during a high-speed chase. Alex Rozier reports March 28, 2023.
The driver of a stolen CHP car died after jumping from the vehicle as it was speeding on a two-lane road during a pursuit north of Los Angeles.
The driver jumped out on West Avenue D near Lancaster and landed in the middle of the road. The car was traveling at an estimated 50 mph when the driver jumped.
Officer Alec Pereyda, a CHP spokesman, said CHP officers provided life-saving measures -- an officer could be seen performing CPR -- for the driver’s major injuries. He was rushed to Antelope Valley Hospital, where he died.
The car with no driver behind the wheel coasted into a ditch and knocked down a wooden utility pole. The rear tires were damaged earlier by a spike strip deployed by CHP officers on the Highway 138.
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The chase began near Castaic on the 5 Freeway. Pereyda said CHP officers from the Newhall area received calls around 11:38 a.m. about a reckless driver on the northbound 5 Freeway at Hasley Canyon Road. They then got calls that the driver had crashed on the freeway. One other vehicle was involved in that wreck, Pereyda said, adding that he could not confirm if anyone in that vehicle was hurt.
A CHP officer arrived to investigate. During the investigation, the driver hopped into the patrol vehicle and took off. Pereyda said it is standard procedure for CHP officers to leave their vehicle running during an investigation, though it must be locked.
After the theft, the officer relayed what happened to dispatchers, which prompted a high-speed pursuit, Pereyda said.
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The driver continued on the northbound 5 Freeway before entering eastbound Highway 138 in the Gorman area and heading east toward Lancaster. The chase ended between 90th and 70th streets.
The weapons in the vehicle were locked, and the driver was not able to access them, Pereyda said.
The name of the driver was being withheld until his family was notified of the death. The investigation was ongoing.
