Driver escapes PIT maneuver during wild chase - 1 of 3 pursuits to unfold across LA in an hour
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A driver led sheriff's deputies on a dangerous chase through Los Angeles and continued to flee even after a PIT maneuver and multiple close calls. It was one of three pursuits in a one-hour span in the L.A. area Thursday night.
AIR7 was over the first pursuit in East L.A. around 7:45 p.m. as the suspect drove recklessly on surface streets.
When the chase entered downtown, deputies performed a PIT maneuver and sent the suspect's vehicle spinning. However, the driver managed to escape and drove away.
There were moments when the driver went the wrong way or came close to hitting pedestrians and other cars on the road. The driver also ignored red lights and was flailing his arms out of the car's window at one point.
Eventually, the driver got out of the vehicle in East L.A. and began running to escape arrest. He was later taken into custody after a foot pursuit. A passenger was also taken into custody.
The second chase ended underneath an overpass after the driver went the wrong way on the 101 Freeway. That chase went through Boyle Heights and parts of downtown L.A.
Police say officers attempted to stop a potentially stolen car with illegal drugs and weapons.
It's unclear if the driver was apprehended after fleeing the scene, but a passenger was taken into custody.
A third chase ended on the 10 Freeway in the Santa Monica area. AIR7 was over the end of the pursuit around 8:37 p.m. and captured smoke coming from the suspect's car.
