Car Chase Across Orange County Ends in Lincoln Ave. Police Car Crash

ANAHEIM, CA—A man driving a reported stolen vehicle reported stolen led police on an erratic high-speed chase today through surface streets and the Riverside (91) Freeway in Orange County, authorities said.

NBCLA reported that the suspect's mother called the police, saying that her son was armed during the chase.

The pursuit started just before 8:30 p.m. at Magnolia and Commonwealth avenues when a Fullerton officer spotted the allegedly stolen vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, Fullerton police Sgt. Jon Radus said.

The driver -- described as a man in his mid-20s and the only occupant of the brown Honda CRV -- led officers from surface streets to the freeway and back to surface streets in the Fullerton, Anaheim, Yorba Linda and Buena Park areas, weaving in and out of traffic at speeds of up to 80 to 85 mph, Radus said.

The man was seen waving his arm out of the driver's side window as he sped through traffic.

"A spike strip was deployed," Radus said, causing the suspect to stop and bail out of the SUV. He was taken into custody at about 9:45 p.m. after a brief foot pursuit at Magnolia and Lincoln avenues in Anaheim.

The suspect was expected to be booked for suspicion of felony evading, Radus said. If the Honda was stolen, he could face possession of a stolen vehicle charges.
As the pursuit changed from vehicle to foot, a Placentia police K-9 vehicle crashed into the back of a Fullerton patrol car, said Fullerton police Sgt. Chris Wren.
"Due to the chaotic nature of a pursuit termination, sometimes it happens," Wren said.

According to NBCLA's report, no weapon was found on the suspect, or inside his vehicle following his arrest.

Neither the Placentia or Fullerton officers nor the police dog were hurt, he said.

Shutterstock Photo, City News Service