Couple Are Injured in Collision After Early Morning Police Chase

A teenager fleeing authorities in what police say was a stolen car collided with another car early Saturday morning, injuring a Rancho Santa Margarita couple.

The pursuit began about 5:15 a.m. when an Orange police officer tried to stop a 1982 Oldsmobile Cutlass. The male driver of the car refused to pull over and fled, leading police on a chase into Anaheim, police said.

Traveling east, the car reached Nohl Ranch Road and Imperial Highway and broadsided a car in the intersection.

That driver, Marilyn Harker, 59, and her husband, Ralph Harker, 65, were taken to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana. He was treated and released; she was in stable condition.

The driver of the car police were chasing received minor injuries and was taken to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Anaheim for treatment. He was then booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall, along with two other teenagers who were passengers in his car. Two of the teenagers are 15 and one is 16, but police did not say how old the driver was. They are being held on suspicion of auto theft. Their names are being withheld because they are minors.

Police did not say how fast the fleeing driver and police were going when the crash occurred.

High-speed chases have become increasingly common in recent years and have come under increased scrutiny. Saturday’s collision comes more than a week after legislation was signed by Gov. Pete Wilson designed to curb high-speed chases. The law gives judges the power to impound the car of people who initiate these chases.