Police chasing stolen big rig on 5 Freeway
get the free appAuthorities are in pursuit of a suspect driving a stolen big rig on the 5 Freeway in Newhall.
The pursuit was originally initiated by the Kern County Sheriff's Department on Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters arriving to scene; traffic backs up
Los Angeles County firefighters have arrived at the scene to put out the fire before it spreads.
Traffic has backed up for miles with dozens of vehicles trapped in the gridlock.
Truck cab bursts into flames
The semi-cab has caught on fire with acres of dry brush nearby.
Authorities detained the suspect shortly after he jumped out of the burning vehicle.
The flames quickly engulfed the cab as officers waited for the fire department to arrive.
Slow pursuit continues to crawl through Newhall area
After several successful spike strips by the California Highway Patrol, the driver of the stolen big rig continues to plunge ahead.
The front tire of the semi cab has blown off the truck.
The suspect continues to drive at very slow speeds as he makes his way through the Newhall and Castaic area.
it also appears that the front tire of the driver's side has also come off the big rig.
Stolen big rig slowly moves through 5 Freeway in Newhall
The suspect wanted for stealing a big rig in Kern County continues to lead authorities on a slow pursuit through the southbound side of the 5 Freeway.
As a result, a long line of cars can be seen on Sky9 driving slowly behind police escorts and the big rig in Newhall.
As of this moment, it appears that Kern County Sheriffs are pursuing the suspect, who has already avoided several spike strips.