Bicyclist killed during police chase that ended in rollover crash in South Los Angeles

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A man on a bicycle was hit and killed Wednesday morning when a police chase ended in a violent, rollover crash in South Los Angeles.

According to police, officers with LAPD's Newton Division received a call shortly after 6 a.m. about a theft from a vehicle.

The victim of the theft was reportedly following the suspect. It's unclear where exactly the theft occurred.

Officers tried to pull over the suspect near the intersection of 48th Street and Central Avenue but the suspect didn't stop, according to police. That's when the chase began, going through several streets in the area.

Police said the suspect struck the bicyclist near Hooper Avenue and 46th Street and kept driving, hitting eight other vehicles before ultimately crashing in the street. There were people in some of those eight vehicles, but no one from those vehicles suffered serious injuries.

"Fortunately, none of them required medical attention and no one needed to be transported, which is quite a miracle considering what we have at this intersection and the force and the impact that would've been needed for this suspect vehicle to be upside down on its side," said LAPD Det. Meghan Aguilar.

AIR7 HD was above the scene Wednesday morning as the investigation was unfolding and captured the mangled vehicle upside down in the street. It was missing a tire and was surrounded by debris.

"It's devastating because I heard a man died," said a witness in the area. "I saw the car where he landed and he looked like ... blood all over it."

Police said the suspect, who has not been identified, wasn't seriously injured and was arrested at the scene after he initially tried to flee. He'll be booked on felony charges, which police said are still to be determined.

It's unclear if the suspect vehicle was stolen, police said. The condition of the victim of the theft is also unknown.

Investigators said there is a restaurant near where the incident occurred but its security cameras are not functioning.

The incident remains under investigation.

"It's been getting crazy out here. We don't even know," said a resident. "Last night, there was a person that got chased by [someone] with a knife, and I'm like, 'Wow' ... it's just getting out of hand right here."

This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.