A suspect in a high-speed Los Angeles police chase boasted to officers that he had only recently been released from prison for the same crime.
The pursuit began at 1:07 a.m. Thursday near Saticoy Street and Sepulveda Boulevard, when Los Angeles Police Department officers spotted a newer model black Ford Mustang, the LAPD said. The driver fled, leading cruisers onto Mulholland Drive, the winding mountain road famous for its sweeping views of the city and the San Fernando Valley.
Video shows the Mustang pulling away from police and rounding sharp bends on the iconic route before officers successfully deployed spike strips. The disabled car crashed into bushes near a home on the 3400 block of Woodcliff Road in Sherman Oaks.
The wrecked Mustang’s front end was buried in the foliage with its airbag deployed. One suspect tried to flee on foot but collapsed and required medical attention. Police requested an ambulance for a 40-year-old male who was conscious and breathing but complaining of lower back pain. A second 40-year-old male also needed medical attention due to collision-related pain.
The Los Angeles Fire Department transported one man from the scene due to the traffic accident. A man with a neck brace and visible facial marks was placed on a stretcher. The crash drew residents from their homes in the quiet neighborhood to investigate the commotion.
The second suspect, wearing a black shirt and appearing uninjured, confronted officers with boasts about his criminal history and driving abilities.
“I’ll wear you guys out,” he said, then claimed he was merely the passenger. “If I was driving, you wouldn’t have caught me, I swear to god.”
He also told officers he had “just got out of the joint for felony evading,” according to police.
The LAPD took both suspects into custody at 6:23 a.m. For felony evading. The pre-dawn chase had drawn spectators to the roadside overlook spots where people typically gather to admire the glittering city below, with the speeding Mustang skirting dangerously close to onlookers during the pursuit.
The incident marked another dangerous episode on the narrow Santa Monica Mountains road, which has long attracted both sightseers and street racers drawn to its challenging curves and dramatic vistas.
The suspects remained in custody Thursday as authorities continued their investigation into the pursuit.