Motorcyclist Injured as Pursuit Ends in Crash
A 19-year-old Palmdale man was in critical condition after he crashed his motorcycle into a California Highway Patrol cruiser during a high-speed pursuit that reached speeds of 100 mph, authorities said.
The chase began at about 8:40 p.m. Friday on the Antelope Valley Freeway near Sand Canyon Avenue in Palmdale when the speeding motorcyclist refused to pull over, said CHP Officer Alex Gonzalez.
Steven Wheeler sped off the freeway and through several side streets before the crash occurred, according to the CHP.
A patrol officer pursuing Wheeler with his cruiser’s lights and siren on saw the motorcycle “directly in front of his patrol vehicle” when he turned onto Avenue R at 47th Street, according to the CHP. The officer was unable to avoid the crash, the patrol said.
Wheeler was airlifted to Holy Cross Hospital in Granada Hills.
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