A high-speed chase involving a stolen truck caused unleashed chaos in downtown Los Angeles, California, last Friday. The pursuit, which left a trail of damaged vehicles, was filmed by a helicopter and has since gone viral.
Authorities said the high-speed pursuit began at approximately 2:41 p.m. after the suspect stole a white flatbed pickup from a delivery man named Ricardo Colindes. According to a report, a fugitive took off with his vehicle while he was making a delivery.
The police reported that they noticed the vehicle driving erratically through the busy city streets, and the high-speed chase began near the Harbour Freeway and Adams Street. Reports that the suspect was charging through intersections at speeds exceeding 160 km/h.
In the footage, the vehicle can be seen dangerously zipping through traffic as it sideswipes some cars and rams into others. Regardless of colliding with multiple vehicles, the suspect kept driving. Reports state that around a dozen vehicles were damaged. A bus also narrowly escaped being struck by the truck when it came speeding through a busy Pico Rivera intersection.
The stolen truck hurtled along motorways and city roads as it went through Santa Fe Springs, Norwalk, and Long Beach. The suspect continued to recklessly drive through a red light and struck multiple vehicles, which was when he ultimately lost control. The collision caused the vehicle to veer off the road and struck a paint store’s metal railing on Termino Avenue, bringing the mayhem to a dramatic halt.
After the final collision, the suspect abandoned the wrecked truck and casually walked away from the scene as if nothing had happened. He attempted to flee on foot, but police officers quickly regrouped and launched a foot pursuit. He was tackled in Long Beach within two minutes of exiting the vehicle and taken into custody at approximately 3:45 p.m., according to a report.
ABP reported that around a dozen police officers intercepted him, and one officer was injured while detaining the man along a sidewalk. The officer was transported to the hospital, and the suspect is currently in custody. According to another news outlet, multiple motorists were injured, and at least one person had to be taken to the hospital on a stretcher, but exact details on the injuries are unclear.
Meanwhile, Colindes thought he was being pranked when he saw his truck was gone. “At the beginning, I thought somebody in the shop was making a joke. I was really mad because all my stuff was there,” he told CBS News. Adding that he cherished the truck, he expressed, “I had been taking care of that truck for a long time, trying to keep it in shape. It’s a company truck, but I love that truck.”
