LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — At least one person was killed and several others were injured after a police chase in Long Beach ended with the suspect crashing into several cars. During the pursuit, police said there was an infant inside the suspect’s vehicle.
During a traffic stop, a woman switched seats with a male passenger, according to police. According to police, he then led them on a chase with an infant in the car.(Photo: ABC7)
According to the Long Beach Police Department, Seal Beach police initiated the chase and were the agency in pursuit at the time of the collision.
The incident began around 8 p.m., according to Seal Beach police. when officers attempted to stop a female driver for a traffic violation near the Pacific Coast Highway and Fifth Street intersection.
According to Public Information Officer Julia Clasby, she had a man in the passenger seat and an infant in the vehicle.
“After contacting the vehicle’s female driver, the officer returned to his vehicle [and] noticed that the female driver had switched seats with her male passenger,” Clasby said.
That’s when the man took off, starting the chase. Clasby stated that the man was driving the wrong way at one point before colliding with several vehicles.
At least nine vehicles were involved in the crash, according to aerial footage, including one mangled car with at least two doors ripped off.
“After the collision, the suspect exited the vehicle and fled on foot, and the officer used his Taser, which effectively stopped the suspect,” Clasby said.
The suspect, woman, and infant were all taken to the hospital, though no information about their conditions was immediately released.
Multiple victims had to be extricated from vehicles using the Jaws of Life after the crash, and six people were transported in unknown condition, according to fire officials.
According to Eyewitness News, the victim was a woman in her 60s, though authorities have not released an official identification.
The Long Beach crash occurred about two hours before another similar incident. A two-car crash in downtown Los Angeles involving a DUI suspect fleeing the LAPD resulted in the injuries of two men.
Read also: Carjacking Suspects Were Caught After Crashing On A Bus Full Of Children
