Thieves Cause 10 Freeway Crash; Rob Victim Amid Wreckage

LOS ANGELES, CA — The smash-and-grab robberies plaguing Los Angeles took a startling turn Tuesday when a van full of masked robbers chased a driver down the Santa Monica (10) Freeway, deliberately causing a crash in order to rob the driver as he emerged from the wreckage, according to the California Highway Patrol. The brazen robbery was caught on camera.

The crash and robbery took place at 1:26 p.m. Tuesday on the eastbound 10 west of Arlington Avenue, according to the CHP. Video of the attack shot by one of several bystanders shows a black Dodge Caravan chasing the driver of a dark Alfa Romeo fruitlessly trying to escape with a flat tire.

According to the CHP, the Caravan caused the Alfa Romeo to crash on the side of the freeway.

Video footage shows the driver instantly exiting the wreckage and kneeling with his hands in the air, while four masked men exit the Caravan, rob him, and rifle through his car and trunk. The incident unfolded in seconds, and multiple bystanders stopped to record the robbery.

As quickly as it started, it ended with the robbers fleeing in a getaway car waiting in the middle of the 10 Freeway.

"The suspects fled the scene in a white colored Chevrolet Malibu and were last seen traveling eastbound on I-10," CHP officials wrote in an incident report. "During the vehicular assault, a Ford Mustang was also struck. Initial reports had the suspects armed with a firearm, however, upon further, investigation, it appears the suspects were armed with a hammer and crowbar."

A CHP investigation of the incident is ongoing.

Click here to see the full video.