LOS ANGELES—Four burglary suspects were arrested Oct. 4 after leading authorities on a dramatic high-speed chase in Los Angeles and Orange counties in a BMW sedan that lost its right front tire but kept going on three wheels for more than a half-hour before crashing into a truck.
The chase ended at about 8:30 a.m. when the car crashed and stopped on the westbound Artesia (91) Freeway at Downey Avenue in the North Long Beach area.
Two suspects ran from the disabled vehicle and sprinted across all lanes of the 91 Freeway, with one narrowly avoiding being struck by a car on the eastbound side. Both suspects were ultimately taken into custody along the shoulder of the eastbound freeway.
Two other people who remained in the disabled BMW eventually emerged from the back seat and were also detained.
The suspects were wanted for a residential burglary on the morning of Oct. 4 in the Walnut area. At about 7:10 a.m., Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department personnel began chasing the BMW in the Baldwin Park area, and a short time later the chase was taken over by the California Highway Patrol.
The BMW driver led authorities on a pursuit that varied from the San Gabriel (605) Freeway, the Foothill (210) Freeway, the San Bernardino (10) Freeway, the Santa Ana (5) Freeway, the Long Beach (710) Freeway, and the Riverside (91) Freeway.
The chase spanned parts of Irwindale and Rowland Heights on the 605 Freeway and San Dimas on the 210 Freeway. At times the driver weaved through traffic at high speed, and at other times drove on the freeway shoulder.
By about 7:50 a.m., the car had lost its right front tire but kept going on westbound Interstate 10, and later lost the use of its right front wheel, which became wedged in the wheel well. Sparks could be seen from the right front wheel well.
Shortly after 8 a.m., the BMW hit another vehicle on the 5 Freeway in the Commerce area. By about 8:15 a.m., the pursuit had made its way into Orange County and onto surface streets, including Beach Boulevard in the Anaheim area.
But the vehicle quickly got back onto the westbound 91 Freeway, and the chase stayed on that freeway until the BMW crashed into the rear of a truck near Downey Avenue, where the men were arrested after the brief foot chase on the freeway. The names of the suspects were not immediately available.
