Bicyclist killed in pursuit-crash in South LA
A vehicle being chased by police Wednesday in the South Los Angeles area struck and killed a bicyclist, and the driver was taken into custody.
LOS ANGELES – A bicyclist was killed after a short police chase ended in a multi-vehicle crash Wednesday, according to police.
The pursuit started around 6:10 a.m. and ended just minutes afterward in the area near Hooper and Vernon in South Los Angeles.
According to authorities, a pursuit was initiated after someone called 911 saying they were following a theft suspect, but it’s unclear at this time what kind of theft happened.
Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department encountered the suspect on 48th and Central and tried to get him to pull over – but he didn’t.
Just two minutes later, the suspect crashed into a man on a bicycle who was crossing at the intersection of 46th and Hooper, officials said.
The suspect’s vehicle flipped over, but he was uninjured and tried to run away before he was taken into custody, authorities said. He will be booked on a felony charge.
Some of the eight other vehicles that were hit during the collision were occupied, according to detectives on the scene, but no one required medical attention.
It’s unknown at this time if the bicyclist who died lived in the area; he has not been identified.
“That’s not the way. Look at what happened. A person had to die because of that [pursuit],” one neighbor said.
Roads in the area will be closed for the duration of the investigation. An estimated reopening time was not immediately disclosed.