High-speed chase ends in head-on crash in Huntington Park

HUNTINGTON PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Authorities chased a suspect who may have been wanted for a traffic violation on surface streets across Los Angeles County, where it eventually ended in a head-on collision in Huntington Park.

The chase started around 9:30 p.m. Friday in the Compton area with California Highway Patrol. It then went through South Los Angeles and into South Gate.

The suspect ran into some traffic, appeared to follow traffic laws by stopping at intersections, but he eventually ran a red light as he continued.

The suspect then pulled into a shopping center off Tweedy Boulevard. After exiting the shopping center and encountering a CHP patrol vehicle, the suspect gained speed in an effort to evade capture.

As the suspect picked up speeds and began blowing through traffic lights, he came dangerously close to hitting vehicles passing through the intersections or just driving down the road.

At times the suspect hit speeds as high as 75 mph as he headed into the Vernon area.

The suspect then lost control of his silver Lincoln Navigator on South Alameda Street and Randolph Avenue in Huntington Park.

The driver came close to hitting oncoming traffic. He then fishtailed and collided head-on with another vehicle on the opposite side of traffic, causing a chain-reaction crash.

Authorities surrounded the mangled vehicle as the driver remained inside, motionless and possibly knocked out by the crash.

As authorities waited for the suspect to come to, an ambulance arrived to help the other drivers who may have been injured in the crash.

AIR7 HD reporter Chris Cristi reported that some people were able to exit their vehicles.

Authorities said there were a total of three victims, who appeared to suffer minor to moderate injuries in the crash. They were transported to a hospital for further evaluation.

The suspect eventually regained consciousness and could not get out of the driver's side door because of the damage to his vehicle. He then crawled out of the back window that was shattered by non-lethal rounds fired by authorities.

The suspect was then ordered to remove items from his pockets, his vest and two shirts. He was then taken into custody.

The investigation is ongoing.