Police Chase Shuts Down 101 Freeway

ENCINO, CA — A police pursuit of a box truck blocked the northbound (Ventura) 101 Freeway in Encino Wednesday.

The driver, who exited the truck's cab and sat down in the middle of the highway to smoke a cigarette, has been taken into police custody. However, the freeway remained blocked during the ongoing investigation.

The unidentified motorist apparently was involved in a hit-and-run crash around midday on the San Diego (405) Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol. Officers followed by the box truck onto the northbound 101 Freeway into the Encino area, where the driver came to a stop near Hayvenhurst Avenue.

All northbound lanes were blocked at 12:17 p.m. Wednesday and remained blocked as of 12:50 p.m., according to SigAlert.com. By 1 p.m., the investigation had moved to the shoulder of the freeway, but traffic in the area remained slow.

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City News Service contributed to this report.