4 Killed When Police Chase Ends In Fiery Crash
COMPTON (CBSLA.com) — Four people -- two men and two women -- were killed during a Compton police chase early Saturday when the suspects' vehicle plowed into an innocent civilian's car.
Sheriff's deputies began chasing a red Grand Prix shortly just before 12:30 a.m. on Indigo Street, according to Lt. Michael Hanneman of the Sheriff's Compton station.
Deputies believed the Grand Prix matched the description of a car involved in a shooting earlier that night.
The driver of the Grand Prix resisted a traffic stop, leading deputies on a brief high-speed pursuit, before plowing into a Monte Carlo sedan.
The accident occurred at 12:25 a.m. at the intersection of Wilmington Avenue and West Greenleaf Boulevard. Hanneman said a woman driving the Monte Carlo had the right of way and a green light.
The suspects reportedly ran a red light and collided with the victim's car. The Grand Prix launched into the air and flipped over into the yard of a nearby house.
Deputies say the Grand Prix caught fire while airborne. Officials now say a woman was driving the Grand Prix which had two male passengers.
"It looks like a burned-out husk that's upside down right now," Hanneman said early Saturday morning. "It has damage to it both by fire, and by the crash."
The three people inside the Grand Prix and the woman driving the Monte Carlo were all killed, Hanneman said. All three in the Grand Prix are believed to have been in their 20s.
Authorities said the Grand Prix didn't have plates or a VIN number.
The names of the driver and passengers in the Grand Prix have not been released pending notification of next of kin.
The Monte Carlo's driver has been identified as 30-year-old Stacey Garcia of Los Angeles.
CBS2's Art Barron spoke to residents who heard the crash and witnessed the aftermath.
"I heard the people screaming," said Richard Chen, "and the flames were real big. The cops tried to rescue people but the flames were real, real big."
He grabbed his camera and began filming. Chen told Barron the images were too gruesome to show on TV.
Chen briefly considered posting the video on YouTube but thought better of it.
"I feel so bad for the families and everything. It looks real, real bad," said Chen.
CBS2's Brittney Hopper spoke to family members of the suspect who was allegedly driving the vehicle that caused the crash.
The family expressed deep remorse to the innocent victim's family.
"In this situation nobody won, all of us our hurt," said one mourner.
Said another, "We do apologize. She's not here to say it, she would be deeply hurt [to know she caused this.] But we do apologize. I'm pretty sure, without a doubt, my sister didn't mean [for] this [to happen.]"
The suspect's family hopes that all the families can mourn together.
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