LAPD officer, innocent driver injured in back-to-back crashes during pursuit in South LA

A chase led to a Los Angeles Police Department officer crashing into a street bench in South LA before the suspect drove off and crashed into an innocent driver Thursday evening, the LAPD said.

The chase began around 11:30 p.m. when officers tried to stop a suspected stolen white Mercedes, but the driver refused to stop, police said. An LAPD unit pursuing the driver later crashed into a street bench at South Hoover Street and West Jefferson Boulevard, just outside the University of California campus. Two miles away, the suspect crashed into another car, the LAPD said.

The LAPD officer and the other driver not involved in the pursuit were both left with injuries that police described as minor.

According to police, the suspect was arrested on suspicion of felony evading and car theft.

Footage shows the crashed LAPD patrol vehicle actually lying on top of the bank, with more than half of the bank pinned to the ground while a street lamp is knocked to the ground and left in the street. In the video of the second crash, two white cars can be seen with their airbags deployed and their entire front ends smashed.

Police have not released any further details as the investigation continues.