Caught on video: Driver doing donuts stops traffic on 10 Freeway
BALDWIN PARK, Calif. (KABC) -- An Eyewitness News viewer captured the wild moments when an erratic driver did donuts in the middle of the 10 Freeway near Frazier Street on Tuesday.
The video shows a gray sedan driving in circles in the middle of the eastbound lanes near the Frazier Street exit in Baldwin Park. The car had front-end damage, with debris scattered on the roadway.
"Can't be drag racing here, dude," Eyewitness News viewer Rigo Obezo says in the video. "Do I get off the freeway or do I stay here and enjoy the show?"
You can see law enforcement holding other drivers back at the scene, causing a traffic headache on the 10. The video shows the chaos come to an end when the driver crashes into the dividing wall and gets out of the car, calmly surrendering to law enforcement.
It happened at about 4:30 p.m. -- around the same time a hit-and-run on the 134 Freeway in Eagle Rock Tuesday led to a manhunt and tied up traffic.
SEE ALSO: Hit-and-run on 134 Freeway in Eagle Rock leads to manhunt, police shooting armed homeowner
According to Obezo, the driver also struck a semi truck a few times and knocked down some signs.
"It was pretty bad. I think the guy was having a nervous breakdown or mental crisis or something," said Obezo, who shared the video with ABC7.
Obezo said he was driving in the area when he noticed the motorist driving erratically.
"I saw this car ram into a semi, and that's when I figured something is wrong. 'Is this an accident? Or are they filming Fast and Furious or something?'" Obezo said. "And that's when I started getting a little bit worried, so I pulled out my phone and I started recording."
With traffic at a complete standstill, Obezo felt it was safe to record the incident with his cellphone.
"At that point, I saw ramming into the semi again, and then started doing donuts," Obezo said. "So all the cars backed off... I thought he was having like, a medical issue or something, but then I just saw him spinning over and over again, doing donuts, and I thought, 'OK, this guy is doing it intentionally.'"
Obezo said he then saw a motorcycle officer move in to deal with the tense situation.
"The officer on the motorcycle seemed like he was hesitant. First of all, I'm surprised he didn't unholster his weapon," Obezo said. "He was kind of like, walking over to the guy calmly."
Obezo said the officer moved in as the man got out of his wrecked vehicle and put his hands behind his head. He then immediately got on the ground and started rolling around without the officer yelling out commands.
"The officer was like, 'OK, I'll just handcuff you.' But I was like, 'Oh no,'" Obezo said. "I was worried because I was afraid he was going to get shot, I thought it could maybe be suicide by cop."
California Highway Patrol told Reporter Leo Stallworth that they are aware of what happened and it is under investigation.
