Richmond Wrong-Way Stolen Pickup Driver Causes Fiery Wreck Following Police Chase; 1 Injured
RICHMOND (CBS SF) -- A suspect fleeing police in a stolen pickup truck was involved in a fiery wreck that sent another driver to the hospital with major injuries Friday morning in Richmond, police said.
Officers first spotted the stolen truck about 4:30 a.m. near South 31st Street and Cutting Boulevard. The suspect driving the truck fled from officers and a pursuit was called off a short time later, according to police.
El Cerrito police then alerted Richmond officers that the vehicle was involved in an assault on an El Cerrito officer two weeks ago.
When Richmond police spotted the truck again, the chase resumed.
It was canceled again, however, when the pickup entered the Richmond Parkway off-ramp to the westbound Interstate Highway 80, heading in the wrong direction, Richmond police Lt. Matt Stonebraker said.
The pickup collided with a Toyota Scion on the off-ramp and both vehicles caught fire, police said.
A Richmond police officer and a Contra Costa County sheriff's deputy rescued the Toyota's driver, who was trapped in the burning car. He was taken to a hospital with major but not life-threatening injuries, Stonebraker said.
The suspect fled from the pickup after the wreck and hasn't been located, police said.