The driver of a truck stolen more than 70 miles away in Redlands was leading a chase in the Van Nuys area when the truck slammed into a black SUV with a woman and baby aboard Wednesday.
The pursuit ended at Saticoy and Gloria streets in Van Nuys, leaving the woman apparently injured.
The utility vehicle was seen speeding down the street before plowing into a black SUV, forcing it to spin around and plow into a fence near an apartment complex.
After the wreck, a woman from inside the SUV was removed from the car and seen lying on the ground as people from inside the apartment complex at the site of the crash tended to her. She had a carseat next to her with a baby inside. The baby didn't appear to be injured, but was seen being taken to the hospital via ambulance.
The driver was taken into custody after he ran from the utility truck.
The chase started in the Redlands area after the driver apparently stole the truck from a roofing crew at a commercial building, according to witnesses.
"The guy who stole the truck climbed up their ladder, took the keys from a work bag, jumped down off the roof, and took off with the truck," a witness said.
Police Chases
Video from Southern California's police pursuits and follow-ups on what happened after the chase
The owner of the roofing company Valstein Pfeifle said his anti-theft tracking app, called "Samsara," clicked on and gave him real time GPS coordinates as he went after his truck.
It also gave him a camera view of the man behind the wheel.
Pfeifle says he followed the man while in contact with California Highway Patrol officers, and he arrived on scene right after the crash.
The CHP says it is an absolute miracle that nobody was seriously injured or killed. CHP said the woman in the SUV and her infant son were transported to the hospital and are expected to survive.
