LANCASTER – A driver who stole a California Highway Patrol cruiser died Tuesday after jumping out of the car during a high-speed chase down a desert highway.
The man was pronounced dead at a hospital, the CHP said. His name was not immediately released.
Officer Alec Pereyda said the CHP began receiving calls around 11:45 a.m. about a reckless driver on Interstate 5 near Castaic, KNBC-TV reported.
The driver crashed into another car and when a CHP showed up to investigate, the man jumped into the squad car and drove off, Pereyda said.
The car was clocked at about 50 mph on state Route 138 near Lancaster in the high desert north of Los Angeles when the driver jumped after a spike strip punctured the rear tires, the CHP said.
Television news helicopters captured the incident.
The unmanned cruiser left the road and knocked over a wooden pole before coming to rest in a grassy area off the road.
Officers attempted life-saving measures and the man was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, the CHP said.
The CHP said officers are supposed to keep their cars running but locked during investigations. The car contained several guns but they were locked and the suspect did not have access to them, the CHP said.
