Motorcyclist flees LAPD at 130 mph, crashes and dies in San Fernando
Los Angeles police officers look over the scene of a fatality crash that ended when a speeding and armed motorcyclist, who was being pursued by LAPD officers, was killed when his bike slammed into a fire hydrant in San Fernando.
A motorcyclist died Wednesday morning when he slammed into a fire hydrant after shooting a gun into the air and fleeing police in the San Fernando Valley, authorities said.
The incident lasted only minutes and started in Sun Valley, where LAPD officers on patrol responded to a 911 call about gunshots in the 12100 block of Sheldon Street, said Lt. Dino Caldera.
The first officers to the scene spotted a man on a motorcycle that matched the description of the shooter. When the rider spotted the officers, he sped off, police said.
“The chase was on,” Caldera said.
The motorcyclist rode so fast and recklessly that officers couldn’t keep up and deferred to a helicopter to keep a line of sight, said Officer Norma Eisenman. ABC7 reported the bike accelerated to 130 mph.
But the pursuit ended almost as soon as it began. Less than five miles away and minutes after the chase started, the motorcyclist lost control and slammed into a fire hydrant in the 100 block of Truman Street in San Fernando and died from his injuries, Caldera said.
A gun was recovered at the scene, he added. Police are investigating the shooting and subsequent pursuit.
For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna.
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