1 Dead 3 Injured In Fiery Crash On Long Beach Freeway

LONG BEACH, CA — The juvenile driver of a Kia sedan died in an explosive crash at the end of a pursuit on the 710 Freeway Monday night, police said.

A Long Beach resident called police to report that her car was stolen at about 10:10 p.m. in the 100 block of Jaymills Avenue. The resident told police that she found the vehicle and there were four juveniles inside.

As officers responded to the call, the vehicle left the area. With the help of an LBPD helicopter, officers tracked the vehicle's location overhead and no police vehicles followed them on the ground.

The pursuit concluded at about 10: 25 p.m. near the Anaheim Street exit when the Kia crashed into a semi-truck and burst into flames. All four of the juvenile occupants were taken to the hospital and the driver of the vehicle was later pronounced dead, the CHP told Patch.

"This tragic event highlights a nationwide trend in which juveniles are stealing vehicles and driving recklessly," Chief of Police Wally Hebeish said in a statement to Patch. "While the driver of the vehicle ultimately succumbed to his injuries, I must commend the officers for their heroic actions. I am extremely proud of their courage and willingness to run toward this dangerous
situation in order to rescue the occupants. I believe their actions prevented the further loss of life and demonstrates their commitment to public safety."

No information was available about the driver of the semi-truck, CHP said. The identities of the Kia's occupants were withheld.

All northbound lanes of traffic were closed following the crash for hours while the roadway was cleared of debris. Traffic resumed at about 1:30 a.m.