IRVINE : Men Fight Officers, See Sports Car Burn
Two men were arrested Tuesday after they led police on a chase at speeds of up to 120 m.p.h. that ended in Irvine in a fight with police and the destruction of their sports car.
Masaaki Tachiki, 22, and Kinichi Nikashimi, 19, both of Northridge, were arrested at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday and booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of evading arrest and assaulting two police officers, California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Officer Angel Johnson said.
Johnson said the men were spotted by two CHP officers at 1:15 a.m., speeding southbound along the San Diego Freeway near the Euclid Street off-ramp.
The officers gave chase. As the car neared heavy traffic, the driver veered the Pontiac Trans Am sports car onto the right shoulder to pass the slower-moving cars. The two men got off the freeway at Irvine Center Drive, and the car spun out of control, Johnson said. When the officers pulled up behind the stopped car, the men jumped out of the Trans Am and started to fight the officers but were subdued, Johnson said.
Suddenly, while the four stood outside the parked cars, the Trans Am burst into flames.
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