California Highway Patrol officers said Wednesday they’re investigating a report of a stolen truck that led to a pursuit that ended with a crash and two patients at Henry Mayo Henry Mayo Hospital.
Officers with the CHP’s Newhall-area Office responded to a 911 call around 6:28 p.m. Tuesday, from a Toyota Tacoma truck following another Tacoma truck that had been stolen from him and was heading northbound on Interstate 405 heading toward Interstate 5, Officer Carlos Burgos-Lopez, CHP spokesman, wrote in an email.
Burgos-Lopez wrote that the owner of the truck had a tracking device and relayed their location to officers.
Officers located the black Tacoma following the gray Tacoma on State Route 14, north of Via Princessa, and initiated a pursuit in the northbound lanes, he wrote, adding officers determined the gray Tacoma was stolen.
“Officers attempted to make a stop on the gray Toyota Tacoma. The driver pulled into the pit scales located on State Route 14 north of Via Princessa before accelerating back into traffic. A pursuit ensued on (the northbound lanes).”
Burgos-Lopez said the driver they were following exited State Route 14 at the Sand Canyon Road exit and headed east.
“The suspect continued east on Sand Canyon Road, making several reckless maneuvers,” said Burgos-Lopez in his email.
“As the driver passed Placerita Canyon Road, he lost control of the suspect vehicle and crashed,” he added.
A witness who asked to not be identified indicated that the driver appeared to have lost control and veered off the right side of the roadway and collided with a large tree.
CHP officers freed the unconscious suspect from his vehicle and requested paramedics due to his injuries.
Firefighters were dispatched to the call at 7:06 p.m. and arrived at the scene a few minutes later, according to Kaitlyn Aldana, spokeswoman for the Fire Department. Fire officials said two patients were taken to the hospital. There was no information on the passenger’s identification or injuries.
Burgos-Lopez said the driver had a previous felony conviction for attempting to flee from law enforcement.
The suspect was taken to Henry Mayo for the treatment of major injuries and has not been arrested as of this story’s publication, pending his medical treatment.
The incident is still under investigation, Burgos-Lopez said.
Kamryn Martell contributed to this report.
