The pursuit stretched from Hollywood to Kern County before the driver surrendered on the 14 Freeway.
A woman led Southern California law enforcement on a tense, hour-long freeway pursuit this morning after stealing a fully loaded traffic management truck from the Hollywood area, driving it at high speeds across multiple counties before being taken into custody after spike strips shredded her front tires down to the bare rims.
The chase began around 10 a.m. when officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Division initiated a pursuit after the truck, the kind typically used for roadwork and lane closures and still bearing its traffic warning sign extended on the roof, was reported stolen. The California Highway Patrol took over jurisdiction as the vehicle merged onto the freeways and began making its way north.
A chase that refused to end
By 10:25 a.m., the truck was traveling northbound on the 14 Freeway in the Santa Clarita area at roughly 80 mph, with multiple CHP units trailing behind and aerial news cameras tracking the pursuit from above. CHP Sgt. Dan Keene told reporters that officers planned to continue the chase for as long as necessary to bring it to a safe resolution. He added that if a working radio was inside the truck, officers intended to make contact with the driver and encourage her to pull over.
At one point during the pursuit, a driver in a black sedan slowed down directly in front of the truck, forcing it to briefly stop. As CHP officers began exiting their patrol vehicles to approach, the sedan pulled forward and the work truck suddenly accelerated away, extending the chase further.
By 10:45 a.m., the pursuit had moved onto the 15 Freeway in the Acton area, situated between Santa Clarita and Palmdale. Officers deployed a spike strip at approximately 11 a.m., and the truck rolled directly over it.
Driving on rims through Kern County
The spike strip shredded both front tires down to the metal rims, but the driver did not stop. She continued north at roughly 60 mph, with equipment in the truck bed shaking violently though remaining secured, as the vehicle crossed into the Rosamond area of Kern County. The sight of a large work truck barreling along a freeway on exposed rims drew wide attention from viewers watching the pursuit unfold live on television.
The driver finally slowed and brought the disabled truck to a stop at approximately 11:15 a.m. Officers ordered her to throw the keys out of the window. She complied, stepped out of the vehicle with her hands raised, and was taken into custody without further incident. No injuries were reported throughout the pursuit.
All lanes on the 14 Freeway were cleared following the stop and traffic returned to normal. The suspect’s identity had not been officially released at the time of reporting, and the circumstances surrounding why the truck was taken remain under investigation.
Story credit: abc7