Woman In Stolen Car Leads Police On Wild Pursuit Through San Fernando Valley
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) —A 23-year-old woman in a stolen car lead Los Angeles police on a pursuit through the San Fernando Valley late Monday night and early Tuesday morning before being captured in Sherman Oaks.
The pursuit began at around 11:15 p.m. at Sepulveda Boulevard and Raymer Street Van Nuys before heading throughout the San Fernando Valley, including areas of Studio City and Sherman Oaks. The suspect was initially wanted for suspected drunken driving, before officers discovered the Honda Civic was stolen.
At one point, authorities had the suspect cornered in a cul-de-sac before the vehicle rammed through a barrage of LAPD vehicles, as officers attempted to break the windows and force entry.
Several police officers were nearly run over by the driver.
A PIT maneuver proved unsuccessful, as the car spun 180 degrees, again driving by multiple police vehicles in the opposite direction.
Authorities performed a second PIT maneuver just after midnight, when the vehicle was turned 180 degrees once more before driving several hundred feet in reverse to evade the fleet of police vehicles following behind.
Following the second attempt, authorities fell back into tracking mode to prevent any potential injuries or collisions. They attempted a third PIT maneuver when the suspect drove down a one-way street, but she again escaped authorities, driving over a spike strip in the process.
The spike strip proved successful. At around 12:10 a.m. Tuesday, the vehicle turned into a parking structure off of Ventura Boulevard and Woodley Avenue in Encino. The suspect exited the vehicle and a short standoff ensued before authorities took her into custody without further incident.
The suspect damaged six LAPD patrol cars during the pursuit, police said. The Civic also sustained noticeable damage.
No officers were hurt, and the woman, who was not identified, was not injured.