1 Killed After High-Speed Police Pursuit

A brief police pursuit ended in a fiery crash Tuesday night that left a woman dead and injured as many as five others, including two police officers, according to early reports.

Los Angeles police arrested two men at the scene on suspicion of grand theft auto after the van they were driving crashed into the victims’ van in the intersection of Lassen Street and Sepulveda Boulevard, said LAPD Officer Jason Lee.

The suspects, who were injured slightly, were being held in custody at Northridge Hospital Medical Center.

The chase began at Van Nuys Boulevard shortly before 10 p.m. when two traffic officers on motorcycles attempted to pull over the suspects’ van, believed to be stolen, Lee said. But the driver refused to yield, leading police on a chase.

The pursuit ended about three minutes later when the suspects’ van, heading west on Lassen, collided with the victims’ van, which was heading north on Sepulveda, causing the vehicle to erupt in flames, Lee said. At least two police officers were slightly injured and taken to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center.

The female driver of the van was killed and a second woman in the van was taken to Holy Cross.

The arrested men had slight injuries, Lee said.

No one involved was identified and no other details were immediately available.

About 100 people gathered at the scene, where firefighters cut apart the van in an attempt to extricate the victims.