L.A. car chase suspect run over by multiple vehicles on live TV
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A suspected car thief being chased by police in Los Angeles on Monday night was killed after he jumped out of the van he was driving on the freeway and was then struck by multiple vehicles as news cameras broadcast the chase live on TV.
Police started the pursuit shortly after 8:30 p.m. when the driver of a van believed to have been stolen refused to pull over for Officer Drake Madison, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
The driver, who has not yet been identified by the county medical examiner, led police onto the 110 Freeway, Madison said. Shortly before 9 p.m., as news helicopters broadcast the pursuit live from overhead, the suspect crashed the van into the northbound side of the center divider near the Avenue 43 exit in Montecito Heights. The suspect climbed out of the driver’s side window while the van was still moving, according to video from news station KTLA-TV Channel 5.
The man, who appeared to be wearing a hooded sweater, stumbled backward after falling off the center divider. He fell into the southbound traffic lanes just as an SUV was passing by and was struck head-on, video from the chase showed. He was then hit by other vehicles, according to police.
Officers rendered aid until paramedics arrived. The suspect died at the scene, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. Animal control workers were called to the scene to remove a dog from inside the van.
The California Highway Patrol dispatch log showed that a SigAlert was issued shortly after 10 p.m. and lasted for several hours for the southbound side of traffic.