Motorcycle in Fatal Chase Mistaken as Stolen

A motorcycle being pursued by deputies during a high-speed chase belonged to its driver and was not stolen, as the deputies believed, officials said Monday.

Deputies had been chasing the speeding motorcycle down Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles Sunday when it slammed broadside into a station wagon at Coliseum Street, killing the two people on board. Sheriff’s officials believed that the cycle had been stolen, but discovered later that the deputy had mistakenly called in the wrong license plate number, said Deputy Dick Dinsmoor.

The driver of the cycle, whose name was not released, had a warrant out for his arrest for driving with a suspended license, said Dinsmoor. But “other than that, we really have no idea why this person wouldn’t stop.” The name of the passenger also was not available.