An accused man who stole a patrol car from the California Highway Patrol died after jumping out of the vehicle during a pursuit on a highway. Police say the suspect jumped out of the car during a pursuit along a major highway on Tuesday. A new video shows the moment a reckless driving suspect stole a California Highway Patrol car. The officer pursued the suspect on the 5 Freeway in Castaic.
The video was posted on a Twitter channel covering the Santa Clarita Valley, and the high-speed pursuit that followed ended 30 miles away in Antelope Acres, near Lancaster. The California Highway Patrol used a spike strip in an attempt to end the pursuit. It shredded the tread of the rear tire and, within seconds, the suspect opened the door and jumped out of the vehicle.
The video stops before the pursuit takes that unexpected and deadly turn, with the driver ultimately jumping to his death while traveling at 45 mph. "For unknown reasons, the driver of the patrol vehicle jumped and suffered serious injuries. The on-site personnel performed lifesaving measures and the driver was transported to Antelope Valley Hospital, where he was declared deceased," said California Highway Patrol Officer Alec Pereyda.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating what caused the driver to open the door and jump onto the road. Public utility crews are also working to repair the power pole that the patrol car knocked down after veering off the roadway without a driver behind the wheel. Investigators said the suspect crashed into another car earlier and stole the patrol car while the officer was responding to the crash, meaning it was unlocked at that time. "It is standard procedure for the vehicle to be running and locked. I don't know what happened in this circumstance, but it is standard procedure," Pereyda said.
An accused man who stole a patrol car from the California Highway Patrol died after jumping out of the vehicle during a pursuit on a highway. Police say the suspect jumped out of the car during a pursuit along a major highway on Tuesday.
The video of the moment the suspect stole the patrol car and the subsequent high-speed pursuit has gone viral on social media. The footage, posted on a Twitter channel covering the Santa Clarita Valley, shows the suspect jumping out of the patrol car while it was still in motion.
The California Highway Patrol used a spike strip in an attempt to end the pursuit. Despite the spike strip causing the tread on the rear tire to tear, the suspect continued to drive. However, within seconds, the suspect opened the door and jumped out of the vehicle while it was still in motion.
The video stops before the pursuit takes that unexpected and deadly turn, with the driver ultimately jumping to his death while traveling at 45 mph. "For unknown reasons, the driver of the patrol vehicle jumped and suffered serious injuries. The on-site personnel performed lifesaving measures and the driver was transported to Antelope Valley Hospital, where he was declared deceased," said California Highway Patrol Officer Alec Pereyda.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating what caused the driver to open the door and jump onto the road. According to reports, the suspect had crashed into another car earlier and stole the patrol car while the officer was responding to the crash, meaning it was unlocked at that time.
The stolen patrol car ended up crashing into a power pole, knocking it down and leaving area residents without electricity. Public utility crews are also working to repair the power pole that the patrol car knocked down after veering off the roadway without a driver behind the wheel.
This tragic incident has garnered attention on social media and generated intense debate about California Highway Patrol's policies and procedures regarding the safety of their patrol cars and protocols for handling high-risk situations.
Originally posted at Liga Legal®
