A wrong-way driver in a van crashed into a big rig and two other vehicles on the 405 Freeway in West Los Angeles at the end of a police pursuit that began early Friday morning in Venice.
The pursuit started after officers responded to a call about a woman causing a disturbance in a Venice neighborhood. After officers responded, the woman backed a white van into patrol cars, leaving two officers hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.
A resident told NBCLA the woman, whom the resident described as homeless, was screaming throughout the night outside an apartment complex and harassing neighbors.
"She basically was screaming about the cartel or something," a witness told NBCLA.
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After striking the patrol cars, the van driver then sped away and went the wrong way on the northbound 405 Freeway. The van crashed into one vehicle on the freeway, where officers attempted at least one PIT maneuver in an effort to stop the reckless driver.
The rampage ended when the driver crashed head-on at high speed into two cars and a big rig stopped for a freeway traffic break near Wilshire Boulevard.
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Telemundo52 spoke with several drivers involved in the crash, who said they were not seriously injured. Some said they were driving to work when they saw the white van crash before the driver in a white tank top climbed out and onto the roof of the vehicle and hood of the big rig.
"Nobody knew what was going on until we got hit," a driver who was heading to work in Santa Clarita told NBCLA. "It happened so fast."
**Traffic Alert**
— Robin Winston (@RobinWinstonTV) May 17, 2024
A police pursuit ended in a multi vehicle crash. Several lanes closed on NB 405 near Wilshire Blvd. WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/AezjUKJtJK pic.twitter.com/v4hJgxjANJ
The chase driver was taken into custody at the scene. She appeared to have blood on her face as she was treated by firefighter-paramedics.
Northbound 405 Freeway lanes were closed for several hours in the West Los Angeles area.
Traffic backed up on both sides of the usually busy freeway during the morning drive. The southbound side was jammed into Sherman Oaks, about 10 miles away in the San Fernando Valley, causing significant delays for anyone traveling to Los Angeles International Airport.
Lanes reopened at about 9:30 a.m.
