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Carjacking suspect hits bus bench and two cars, drives into oncoming traffic in wild pursuit with LAPD

Carjacking victims Raymond Ruiz and brother Alexis tell their harrowing story. (Video by Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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A suspected carjacker led police on a hair-raising pursuit through the San Fernando Valley on Wednesday afternoon, fish-tailing into a bus bench, smashing into another car and threading between vehicles at busy intersections before crashing.

The chase began about 2:30 p.m. in Van Nuys and ended 30 minutes later in Lake Balboa, police said.

In between, the driver steered into oncoming traffic, clipped a car, drove on the sidewalk, ran red lights and sped down Van Nuys streets not yet crowded with afternoon rush hour traffic. At one point, he avoided two cars by mere inches as he sped between them at a red light.

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Footage from news helicopters showed the car reaching freeway speeds — and faster — several times on surface streets.

The chase stopped only when the suspect drove into a busy intersection and was T-boned by another vehicle at Hayventhurst Avenue and Vanowen Street. The suspect’s black sedan then spun into a traffic signal.

Instead of surrendering, the driver, clad in black, jumped out and sprinted away with an officer in close pursuit. At one point, the suspect appeared to be holding an object in his right hand before placing it in his pants pocket as he ran.

The suspected carjacker made it only about a block before he put his hands up and surrendered.

Raymond Ruiz, left, son of the owner of the 2005 Chrysler C300, looks at the wrecked car after a wild pursuit of carjacking suspect.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

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