After 135 mph chase and standoff, pickup driver is in CHP custody

A driver who led the California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles Police Department on a winding high-speed pursuit Monday through the San Fernando and Antelope valleys was taken into custody just before 7 p.m. after a lengthy standoff, authorities said.

The pursuit began about 5:05 p.m. at the intersection of Saticoy Street and Topanga Canyon Boulevard when LAPD officers spotted a Ford pickup driving recklessly, Officer Sara Faden said.

The high-speed chase wound through Simi Valley, Porter Ranch, Mission Hills and Granada Hills, with the truck driving against traffic, careening through stop signs and ignoring red lights.

At one point, the driver was moving at speeds approaching 100 mph while heading eastbound on the 118 Freeway.

During the initial pursuit by LAPD, the driver was involved in two minor traffic collisions: one at the intersection of De Soto Avenue and Saticoy Street, another at the intersection of Rinaldi Street and Shoshone Avenue in Granada Hills.

The driver was a man, and the passenger was a female, Faden said. No other identification was available.

The CHP took over the pursuit once the truck began speeding northbound on the 14 Freeway, traveling at up to 135 mph, according to KABC-TV Channel 7.

About 6:10 p.m., the truck spun out of control in an apparent pit maneuver, then crashed into a vehicle -- possibly one operated by the CHP -- on Avenue N in Palmdale.

The female passenger exited the truck just after 6:10 p.m. in a gated community.

The driver continued westbound on Avenue N toward the 14 Freeway, then turned southbound on 40th Street.

The pursuit came to a halt about 6:15 p.m. when the pickup crashed into another car at the intersection of 30th Street West and Rancho Vista Boulevard in Palmdale.

The driver remained inside the truck, ignoring commands from officers who crowded around the truck.

Some witnesses reported seeing smoke coming from the truck’s windows.

The driver exited the truck about 6:55 p.m. and was taken into CHP custody. The standoff lasted nearly 40 minutes, authorities said.

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