Suspect in fatal LAPD pursuit struck three vehicles
A motorist who fled from police in El Sereno on Saturday slammed into three other vehicles at a busy intersection, crushing one car and causing another vehicle to roll over in a collision that killed one man and sent three people to the hospital.
The motorist -- whose name has not been released -- was also taken to the hospital after a police dog bit him during a search that followed the crash, authorities said.
Police said officers recovered a gun from the man’s car.
Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollenbeck Division tried to pull over the driver of a silver Chevrolet Suburban on suspicion of driving recklessly shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.
LAPD Det. Gus Villanueva said the suspect fled, and officers briefly lost sight of him. At that point, the Suburban crashed into two sedans and a Toyota 4Runner, which overturned, at the intersection of Poplar Boulevard and Huntington Drive.
One of the sedans was crushed, killing the driver and injuring a passenger. The driver of the 4Runner and a woman in another car were also injured.
The Suburban driver fled on foot but was found and taken into custody after officers set up a perimeter and searched with the police dog, Villanueva said.
On Saturday evening, the body of one driver was still inside a crumpled sedan as authorities examined the crash scene. The victim has not been identified. The coroner arrived at the scene about 6:45 p.m.
The Suburban and the 4Runner were upside down in the street. Several people had gathered at the scene to find out if the driver who died was a family member.
“They have us waiting here for a long time,” said Brenda Gil, 18, who believed her cousin might have been driving the sedan. “I know they can’t confirm anything right now, but this is really hard to be waiting here.”
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