Four LAPD officers hospitalized after pursuit of carjackers ends in violent crash

Four Los Angeles police officers were injured early Monday when the pursuit of carjacking suspects ended in a violent crash on a freeway onramp in Pacoima, authorities said.

Officers were patrolling the Tujunga area about 4:20 a.m. when they saw a white Mercedes-Benz ML350 SUV and decided to run the vehicle’s license plate number. The license plate check revealed that the SUV had been stolen in an armed carjacking in the Bay Area on Sunday, said Officer Jeff Lee.

Officers attempted to pull over the vehicle, which was carrying two people, but authorities said the driver refused to stop. Instead, the driver led authorities onto the northbound 210 Freeway and the westbound 118 Freeway. The driver exited the 118 Freeway at Glenoaks Boulevard and then immediately tried to reenter the westbound portion of the freeway across the street from the offramp, Lee said.

The Mercedes drove onto the onramp’s embankment, lost control and flipped onto its roof. When the car flipped in front of them, one police cruiser slammed into the back of another police SUV. Video from the scene showed the back of a patrol cruiser completely caved in.

The officers were taken to a hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening and were released.

Two women suspected in the carjacking were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Their injuries are not believed to be serious and they will be taken into custody after they are released from the hospital, police said.

The Glenoaks Boulevard offramp and the onramp to the westbound side of the 118 were closed for several hours while authorities investigated the crash. The area reopened about 9 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.