California: Police Chase Suspect Dies After Jumping Out of Speeding Stolen CHP Cruiser

The driver, who had stolen a California Highway Patrol vehicle Tuesday noon and led police on a high-speed chase, jumped out of the car and died, CBS News reports.

A report of a reckless driver in the Newhall area sparked the pursuit, which started shortly before 11:40 a.m.

While traveling north on I-5, police encountered the driver at the Hasley Canyon Road exit.

Although the culprit totaled his Toyota Corolla, he was able to make off with a California Highway Patrol cruise right after. However, the suspect jumped out of the moving vehicle when the pursuit reached the Lancaster area.

When the driver found himself unable to maintain control of the cruiser after one of the back tires punctured due to a spike strip, he bailed out.

After crashing into a utility post, the cruiser stopped in a grassy area next to the freeway.

California Highway Patrol officers treated the suspect at the site before being taken to the hospital by paramedics, but the man died.

High-Speed Chase with the California Highway Patrol

The event began with a collision near Santa Clarita. It has been reported that the perpetrator could get into the running cruiser of the responding CHP officer and speed off, according to ABC 7.

The suspect allegedly displayed a shotgun and an assault weapon at one point, as reported by authorities. It was also said that the defendant had mental health problems.

Almost immediately after he left, he sped up to 100 mph on the 5 Freeway heading north and then changed lanes to the 138 Freeway heading east.

Soon after, while the car was still traveling at about 45 mph, the suspect opened the driver-side door and leaped out.

When the police arrived, he was lying motionless on the ground after falling heavily on his head. The cruiser then crashed into a utility post.

The police responded quickly and pulled him from the road to safety before attending to his medical needs.

The authorities dragged him away as the lines from the downed power poles were arcing, and they were afraid the poles and wires would collapse onto the road, the spokesman said.

The California Highway Patrol requires that patrol vehicles be locked with the engine running during investigations, and it is still unclear how the suspect got into the cruiser, according to Fox 11.

The suspect could not access the locked patrol vehicle, where officers had secured multiple assault-style weapons, authorities said.

Meanwhile, no law enforcement personnel were hurt during the incident, according to CPH, and the identity of the deceased suspect has not been released.

Stolen Car Suspect Kills Mom, Injures 2 Sons During Police Chase

On a different incident, police in Hercules, California, arrested a man in a reportedly stolen vehicle following a fatal crash that took a mother's life and injured her two young children Thursday, per KTVU.

The Hercules Police Department has charged a 20-year-old Vallejo man named Ralph Ellsworth White III with vehicular manslaughter, possession of a stolen car, and three counts of pursuit causing death or severe bodily injury.

The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office reported a stolen 2021 Mazda SUV on westbound Interstate 80 near Hercules at 7:27 p.m. on Thursday.

The Hercules police officer witnessed the SUV turn off the freeway onto Willow Avenue, heading north.

A 2017 Nissan traveling south on Willow Avenue was struck by the Mazda after the driver allegedly sped off, prompting the officer to give pursuit.

White, the Mazda's driver, jumped out of the car and ran north on Parker Avenue.

The police established a barrier, and White was apprehended shortly after his location.

Meanwhile, the authorities said the Nissan's driver, a 31-year-old California mom of twins, was killed in the crash.

Following the collision, the 6-year-old twin brothers were injured in the hospital.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Man jumps out of stolen CHP cruiser during high-speed police chase - From FOX 11 Los Angeles