Suspected Tire Thief Leads Police On Wild Pursuit In Orange County
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — A suspected tire thief led police on a wild high-speed chase Thursday from Huntington Beach to Buena Park.
According to Huntington Beach police Lt. Bo Svendsbo, the suspect stole tires from a Big O store in the 19400 block of Beach Boulevard about 4:30 p.m. in Huntington Beach before leading officers on a chase that spanned three freeways.
The driver in a white pickup clipped at least two vehicles, ran red lights and drove the wrong way as he raced down surface streets.
The 45-minute pursuit ended on Grand Avenue, where an officer used a PIT maneuver to send the pickup into a spin.
The side of the pickup slammed into a wooden utility pole, and the suspect ran off with an officer in close pursuit.
As the man and the officer hurdled some shrubs in a median, the officer lost his footing and tumbled.
The suspect kept running until he reached the front lawn of a home south of Knott's Berry Farm, where he also fell flat on his face.
Several officers quickly pounced on him and arrested the suspect, who was taken to a hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
The officer who fell while chasing the suspect did not appear to be seriously injured, Svendsbo said.
The suspect's name and age were not immediately available.
Power to a couple of light poles was knocked out after the suspect's truck slammed into it.
