A morning rush hour pursuit of a suspected reckless driver ended in a collision with another vehicle after the pursued driver allegedly ran a red light in Boyle Heights, authorities said.
The collision occurred just east of the First Street Bridge over the Los Angeles River at Mission Road.
The passenger side of an SUV driven by a woman going to work was crushed in, and she was shaken and treated at the scene by paramedics, but did not require hospitalization.
"My angels looked after me," said Rebecca DeAnda, still trembling, as she surveyed the wreckage and her close call.
The suspected driver of the pursued Kia Optima was taken into custody afer running into a nearby building. Police identified him as Rolando Agustin Pineda, 20.
Two passengers in the Kia remained with the car. They complained of pain and were hospitalized.
The pursuit had began some 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles in South Gate. Police attempted to pull over the Kia for reckless driving, but it failed to stop, Sgt. H. Gutierrez said. The Kia got on the 710 freeway north, transitioned to the 10 freeway west, then exited at Mission Road and headed south, Gutierrez said.
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After the impact, Pineda ran west on the bridge's sidewalk, jumped over the guard rail and dropped into the parking lot of a produce company, running into the building where he was found, Gutierrez said.
The hood of a parked car softened the suspect's landing in the parking lot, said witnesses at Times Produce. Inside the building, he hid in a closet. The building's security camera system helped officers identify which one, Gutierrez confirmed.
"When they opened the door, he said, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry,' and they arrested him," said office worker Ruby Avila, who discovered it was her car onto which the suspect had jumped.
Inside the Kia, officers found stolen US mail, checkbooks in names other than the Kia's occupants, and other evidence of identity theft crimes, Gutierrez said.
Metro's Light Rail Gold Line runs along the First Street median through the Mission Road intersection, and train service was disrupted two hours until the scene was cleared.
