4 hurt in crashes during chase

A one-hour police pursuit across the city Sunday resulted in at least three crashes, police said.

At least four people were injured in separate collisions during the pursuit by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s 77th Street Division, said Officer Norma Eisenman.

The pursuit began in South Los Angeles about 9:30 a.m., Eisenman said, and the driver led officers into Koreatown and Hollywood before he crashed and the chase ended.

The first collision occurred at Oakwood Avenue and St. Andrews Place and involved a patrol car with one officer inside and another vehicle with two occupants. The occupants of both cars were injured and were taken to a hospital for treatment; the extent of their injuries was unknown, Eisenman said.

The pursuit continued, and the suspect later struck a DirecTV van at Western and Sierra Vista avenues. It was not known whether the van was parked or whether anyone was in it. The driver did not stop after hitting the van and later struck a vehicle driven by an 83-year-old woman at Santa Monica Boulevard and Virgil Avenue in Hollywood, Eisenman said. The woman was being treated at a hospital. Her condition was unknown.

The suspect, whose name was withheld, is in custody and faces charges of felony evading arrest. It was not known whether he was injured.

-- Yvonne Villarreal