Motorcyclist Killed In Horrific Crash In West Hills
WEST HILLS (CBSLA) — A motorcyclist that was being followed by the LAPD is dead after crashing at high speed into a car in West Hills at around 1:15 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.
Video from SKY9 showed the driver speeding down Roscoe Boulevard, and later reports revealed that the suspect was traveling of speeds up to 130 miles per hour. At one point the rider could be seen standing up on the motorcycle, just moments before crashing into a vehicle making a left turn at Fallbrook Avenue.
The motorcyclist was thrown into the air upon impact and was declared dead on the scene, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
"It's a very sad day here. Just another example of how reckless driving - regardless of who it is - causes death," said LAPD Captain Andy Neiman.
Two others were also injured in the crash. They are reported to be in stable condition, claiming feelings of soreness and pain.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the motorcycle was reported stolen, and police were "tracking" it but were not involved in a pursuit.
Neiman gave a detailed report of the incident that led to the tracking of the motorcycle, "There were some statements made that we were in pursuit of this motorcycle. I just want to make it very clear, at no time were we in pursuit," he said.
Undercover officers noticed something suspicious about the motorcycle and its rider just after 1 p.m. "There was something that alerted the undercover officers," Neiman continued, "they ran motorcycle license and it came back as a confirmed stolen."
When officers attempted to pull the motorcyclist over in a nearby parking lot, he bolted from the scene,"When he fled, a decision was made by the supervisors and the incident commanders that we would not pursue this motorcycle," Neiman said.
It was then that the motorcycle proceeded to flee from the officers at speeds over 100 miles per hour, losing the police cruiser that was following. However, the police helicopter was still overhead to follow the driver. Neiman relayed that several factors played into the decision to not pursue the motorcycle including, "The time of day, the level of traffic and the potential danger to the public."
Authorities were waiting for a representative from the Los Angeles Coroner's Office to arrive on the scene as of 5:00 p.m., and no additional information on the motorcyclist was available.