Police Chase Through South Pasadena Ends In Dramatic Crash

PASADENA, CA — A police chase ended in a violent collision in Pasadena that left one person in serious condition. A work truck trying to outrun police broadsided an SUV at a busy Pasadena intersection, trapping the SUV driver in the wreckage.

The chase tore through several cities including South Pasadena and Pasadena, with the driver striking multiple vehicles, driving on the wrong side of the road and plowing through a lowered train crossing gate.

Firefighters were forced to use cutting tools to rescue the driver of the SUV, a woman. The crash ended the chase at about 5:20 p.m. at the intersection of Orange Grove Boulevard and Holly Street. The truck driver got out and was taken into custody by officers, at least one of whom held the man at gunpoint until backup arrived.

Firefighters then set about cutting open the SUV to free its driver, a woman who was freed and loaded into an ambulance for transport to Huntington Memorial Hospital.

A Pasadena Fire Department assistant chief said the driver was in serious condition.

Crews found two child seats in the rear of SUV, he said.

It's unclear when the chase began, but television stations picked up the pursuit about 4:35 p.m. as the man driving the truck tore through the Commerce area. The truck driver was wanted for reckless driving and the chase began in Bell Gardens, according to broadcast reports.

During the chase, the suspect drove at high speeds during rush hour traffic on sometimes congested streets and freeways in northeast Los Angeles, Alhambra, South Pasadena and Pasadena, at times taking to the wrong side of the road and blowing through red lights and stop signs. He even plowed through lowered railroad gates, disregarding the danger of a train collision.

Before crashing, the truck clipped the rear of a gray sedan in a minor collision and a pursuing police cruiser was seen rear-ending a civilian vehicle.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.