SigAlert: High Speed Crash Chase Leads To Fatal 210 Crash

LA CRESCENTA, CA — A high-speed police chase ended in a crash on the Foothill (210) Freeway in the La Crescenta area, killing the fleeing driver Friday morning.

Police were pursing a black Honda SUV in connection with a grand theft at a Target store in Ventura County. The Ventura County Sheriff's Department began chasing a black Honda SUV, and the California Highway Patrol picked up the chase headed eastbound on the Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway at Balboa Boulevard shortly before 11 a.m, according to CHP Officer Erik Larsen.

Transitioning to the eastbound Foothill Freeway, the driver reached speeds of 110 mph amid the light Friday morning traffic. The driver was weaving in and out of lanes when they attempted to pass a large dump truck, clipping the back corner of the truck at the Honda's front driver's side and spinning out of control across the freeway.

The dramatic crash was captured by television news helicopter crews. CHP officers at the scene performed CPR on the driver on the bloodied pavement east of Ocean View Boulevard in an area where La Crescenta, La Canada Flintridge and Montrose converge.

However, the man was pronounced dead at 11:18 a.m. by Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics, Larsen said.

The driver was accused of stealing more than $950 in merchandise, which is considered grand theft.

The CHP issued a SigAlert at 11:32 a.m. for lanes 2, 3 and 4 of the main line of the Foothill Freeway and lanes 1, 2 and 3 of the transition road to the 2 Freeway, although all traffic had been stopped since the crash. As if 3:30 p.m., it remained backed up for miles with traffic reduced to one lane.

City News Service contributed to this report.