(Photo by: Visions of America/Joe Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Car theft and a high-speed chase in northern Los Angeles ended in a disturbing car crash on Wednesday (Oct. 23). According to ABC7, cops were chasing a woman in a stolen car for over an hour when she suddenly crashed near a freeway exit.
Video of the scene went viral early Wednesday evening on social media platforms, as the entire incident seemingly mimicked a robbery movie plot gone wrong.
ABC7 reports that the high-speed chase began at around 2 p.m. near Santa Clarita, California. The Los Angeles Police Department first pursued the woman before the California Highway Patrol took over.
The woman, who has yet to be named by the press and police, allegedly stole a 2024 Honda CRV. She reportedly drove erratically through several northern L.A. areas before crashing into a concrete pillar. CBS News reports that she drove on the shoulder of the I-5 Freeway, reaching speeds of up to 130 at one point. Additionally, she weaved through traffic at high speeds, including through a construction zone splitting northbound lanes. Ultimately, she surpassed the Los Angeles-Kern County line but then switched directions and started heading south toward San Fernando Valley.
At one point, she swerved across four lanes to exit the roadway. However, sliding into the gravel shoulder near the exit ramp, the woman lost control of the stolen car. She was reportedly driving at over 100 mph when the Honda smashed into a road railing and rolled over several times at 115 mph. The shredded car immediately burst into dark smoke after smashing into a concrete pillar under an overpass. An officer at the crash site reportedly called the woman’s passing on the scene an “obvious death,” per CBS.
