Passenger's Leg Severed During Koreatown Chase, Crash
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A passenger who was apparently trying to get out of a possibly stolen car lost their leg during a police chase in Koreatown, according to police.
The chase ended with a crash into several parked cars at 8th and Berendo in Koreatown, where police have several streets blocked off due to an ongoing search for the driver.
LAPD officials say officers on patrol had spotted the car driving erratically at about 2 a.m. and tried to pull over the driver, who took off. The passenger apparently tried to roll out of the car during the chase and was caught and dragged for a distance.
The chase, which only lasted a few blocks, severed the passenger's leg before ending with a crash involving as many as seven parked cars, police said.
"It's not uncommon for people to try and flee the police and it's not uncommon for them to try and drop off passengers here. What is sad is that the passenger received major injuries," LAPD Capt. Ahmed Zarekani said.
The driver abandoned the car and ran off on foot. The LAPD set up a perimeter to search for the driver.
"We want to make sure if we clear the area, we know the suspect is not there, so we're not going to leave until the whole perimeter is searched by our K9 units," Zarekani said.
The passenger was taken to a hospital and underwent surgery. Their condition was unknown.