A high-speed police chase ended tragically when the suspect lost control of her vehicle and crashed into a concrete pillar north of Pyramid Lake on Wednesday.
Los Angeles Police began the chase near Santa Clarita around 2 p.m. before the California Highway Patrol took over the chase near Newhall Pass.
The suspect drove erratically onto the shoulder of the I-5 Freeway while reaching speeds in excess of 130 mph. Police tried to stay behind the Honda CR-V SUV.
They quickly flew far up the 5 Freeway, past Antelope Valley and 138 Freeway. The suspect continued to split lanes and weave past traffic despite entering a construction zone separating the northbound lanes.
Officers backed off as the chase entered the construction area.
The driver continued north until he passed the Los Angeles-Kern County line. Shortly thereafter, the suspect changed directions and drove south on Highway 5 toward the San Fernando Valley.
While near Highway 138, the driver cut across four lanes to quickly leave the roadway. As the SUV entered the off-ramp, the suspect swerved onto a gravel shoulder at a speed of more than 100 mph and lost control.
The CR-V fishtailed along the exit ramp and rolled over at 115 mph. The car continued to tumble until it crashed into a concrete pillar under an overpass.
An officer at the crash called it “obvious death” when he arrived at the wreckage.
