An amazingly fast-paced CHP pursuit came to an end in Canyon Country after officers tackled the driver in the bushes off the side of the 14 Freeway.
The driver, who at one point hit 130 mph in an SUV, leapt from the vehicle and let it roll down the highway. A CHP cruiser nearly ran him over before he jumped the railing and ran through the bushes before he was tackled.
The California Highway Patrol was pursuing the driver suspected of assault with a deadly weapon through the west San Fernando Valley on Wednesday afternoon.
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Newschopper4 was over the pursuit starting at 1:22 p.m.
The driver was driving a stolen silver Toyota 4runner SUV, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The chase started on the 170 Freeway, then moved to surface streets before jumping back to the 170 Freeway.
By 1:27 p.m. the driver was moving onto the 14 Freeway, driving recklessly en route towards Palmdale.
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The high-speed chase did not involve ground units at first, but a police helicopter followed the SUV travelling between 70 and 80 mph in the slow lane of the freeway and at speeds up to 125 mph as it weaved around cars and big rigs.
At one point the driver passed another car on the left-hand shoulder of the freeway at speeds close to 125 mph. The driver frequently passed other cars very closely despite there being a large amount of space around the freeway.
The CHP terminated the pursuit around 1:30 p.m., due to the incredibly high speeds and reckless driving.
The driver continued driving recklessly despite the absence of police units on the ground and in the air, and even crashed into a freeway sign at an on ramp.
The driver continued past at least two CHP units while speeding down the 14 Freeway, before taking an exit toward Santiago Road. The car then lurked under an overpass as the CHP vehicles continued northbound on the 14 Freeway.
The car then began traveling west down Santiago Road, then south on Sierra Highway.
The driver at one point pulled over onto a dirt side road, and looked out the driver's side window up at the news helicopters hovering above for long enough that two unmarked CHP vehicles caught up to the 4runner.
The driver then took off again, eventually heading northbound on the 14 Freeway toward Acton, restarting the pursuit with the CHP.
NewsChopper4 was traveling at a ground speed of 110 mph, and was still behind the car -- meaning the car was easily reaching speeds up to 115 mph.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
