A reportedly stolen party bus led California Highway Patrol officers on a vehicle pursuit through the Santa Clarita Valley early Tuesday afternoon.
The pursuit ended and the driver was detained at approximately 12:35 p.m. after the party bus crashed into another vehicle near Pearblossom Highway and Small Road in Palmdale.
According to CHP officer Peter Nicholson of CHP Traffic Management, the bus was stolen out of San Diego and was hitting speeds of 80 mph as officers gave chase behind the driver heading northbound on Interstate 5.
The pursuit was first reported at approximately noon on the I-405 near The Getty Center in Los Angeles heading northbound.
“Yes, we are behind it,” said Officer Josh Greengard, a spokesman for the CHP Newhall Office, at approximately 12:15 p.m. “It is currently traveling northbound (State Route) 14 freeway around Sand Canyon Road.”
While heading down Pearblossom Highway in Palmdale, the party bus collided with a white, four-door sedan and the suspect driving the bus was taken into custody at gunpoint by CHP officers.
After officers cleared the suspect’s vehicle, they went to check on the civilian vehicle that was struck, which was sent over 400 feet after the crash and whose back trunk was crushed in the crash.
As of the publication of this story, the status of the driver of the white sedan was unknown.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
