Pursuit driver reverses past police, speeds through red lights in Downtown LA

Stolen car suspect speeds down DTLA streets, flees in reverse before arrest

A pursuit suspect's erratic driving ended with him striking an innocent driver Monday night.

The Los Angeles Police Department began the pursuit in downtown. The driver routinely sped through intersections and drove onto the wrong side of the road several times.

At one point, the suspect hit a dead end. Seemingly trapped, the suspect switched gears and placed his car in reverse before swerving by officers at about 30 mph.

After flipping around in the middle of an intersection, the suspect continued to evade police, eventually forcing the LAPD to cancel the pursuit.

Pursuit suspect reverses by police after hitting dead-end

The suspect drove erratically, veering onto the wrong side of the road and at high speeds, despite officers backing off the chase.

His hazardous driving eventually led to a three-car crash, involving an innocent driver and a parked car. Immediately after the collision, the driver hopped out of the car and began to run around the neighborhood, trying to lose the LAPD helicopter hovering above him.

After multiple attempts to find a hiding place, the visibly exhausted man surrendered to the police in Boyle Heights.

Matthew Rodriguez

Matthew Rodriguez is a digital producer for CBS Los Angeles. He's previously reported for local outlets like the Argonaut and Pasadena Weekly. Matt typically covers breaking news and crime.