Police chase: Driver flees at high speeds on 5 Freeway north from Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A driver fled from police through Los Angeles at high speeds, running through red lights and surviving a PIT maneuver in his efforts to escape Thursday night.
The chase began in the Highland Park area as police tried to pull over a Toyota driver for speeding around 10:45 p.m.
Police implemented a PIT maneuver on surface streets, spinning the vehicle around. But after the spinout, the vehicle was able to take off again.
The chase continued at high speeds over surface streets as the driver ran red lights and narrowly avoided collisions before jumping onto the freeway system.
He first got onto the 110 and then transitioned to the northbound 5 Freeway at speeds up to 100 mph through the San Fernando Valley.
He continued on the 5 in light traffic northbound, driving through the Newhall Pass and Santa Clarita and heading toward the Grapevine.
At that point, AIR7 HD was unable to continue following the chase over the mountains at night for flight-safety reasons. California Highway Patrol ground units remained close behind the driver as they headed toward the Grapevine about an hour after the chase began.
CHP told Eyewitness News that the suspect drove into a field near Maricopa Highway and Basic School Road in Kern County around 12:30 a.m. Friday. He fled on foot into an orchard, where officers were still searching for him as of 4 a.m.
