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High-speed chase ends tragically as man who stole California police cruiser leaps to death from car

The man suffered major injuries and was transported to Antelope Valley Hospital, where he died

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A man who had stolen a California Highway Patrol patrol car leaped from the vehicle to his death in the middle of the road, ending an intense pursuit in disaster on Tuesday, March 28. The suspect, who allegedly had mental health problems, stole the vehicle after being involved in an accident near Santa Clarita.

The suspect grabbed a shotgun and an assault rifle during the pursuit, though news accounts suggest that the firearms were secure inside the vehicle, reports Daily Mail. The high-speed pursuit eventually came to an end when the suspect jumped from the moving car as it was traveling at about 45 miles per hour on the 138 Freeway.

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What happened to the suspect?

The suspect, whose identity has not been made public, was struck by the object and fell to the ground unconscious in the middle of the highway. The police performed CPR and making calls for emergency help right away. The body of the suspect was ultimately moved to the side of the road for transportation. The man was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital in the Antelope Valley despite the efforts of first responders, according to a CHP spokesperson. "CHP personnel on scene performed life-saving measures and the driver was transported to Antelope Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased," stated CHP Officer Alec Pereyda.

Why did the chase take place?

Officer Alec Pereyda said that the CHP started getting calls about a reckless driver on Interstate 5 near Castaic around 11.45 am, reports KNBC-TV. The culprit apparently got into a two-car collision, and when the CHP showed up on the scene to check on one of the original collision victims, the suspect managed to get into the moving Dodge Charger cruiser and drive off. The speeding car proceeded for a few dozen feet after the man exited it before swerving off the road and hit with a light pole. The rear tires had previously been damaged by a spike strip deployed by CHP agents on Highway 138, as per NBC. He sped off north on the 5 Freeway, hitting chase speeds of up to 100 mph at times, before switching to the eastbound 138.

CHP is still looking into how the cruiser was stolen and noted that there were no complaints of any injuries to officers. They also stated that patrol vehicles must be locked with the engine running. According to CHP, several assault-style weapons were locked in the police car, and the suspect was unable to access them, as per Fox News.

'Bad ending'

Meanwhile, the terrifying footage of the man jumping out of the car has been circulating on the internet. A user commented, "Wow, that’s crazy. Glad no one else got hurt." Another user said, "why does it look like he is still laying there in the road.. and also running away? wtf am i looking at? One person noted, "I was watching live on tiktok. I can’t believe he jumped." Another claimed, "Bad ending." Some assumed he is not seeming mentally ill with a user tweeting, "He doesn’t look like he has mental health problems" while another wrote, "Assisted suicide, he got what he asked for. Mental Illness is worse than Covid!"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.