A possible hit-and-run driver led officers on a pursuit that may have sparked a fire in Topanga Canyon Tuesday afternoon, before ending in a 45-minute standoff that shut down Pacific Coast Highway.
The pursuit started after calls from citizen reporting a hit-and-run, with the driver believed to have struck several parked cars, according to Sgt. Ken Drucker of the Los Angeles Police Department. Drucker said the LAPD's Valley Traffic Division is reviewing possible hit-and-run charges.
A man in his late 40s was arrested for felony evading, Drucker said.
The chase reportedly began on Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley around 2 p.m. and went through Topanga Canyon before coming to a stop in Malibu near Carbon Canyon.
The shirtless driver remained in the white Ford F-350 truck despite officers asking him to exit. The truck appeared to have become disabled during the chase, during which several cars were hit.
Several items were thrown out of the truck, but it wasn't clear what they were.
The driver finally surrendered around 3:15 p.m.
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A brush fire in Topanga Canyon was believed to be started from sparks from the pursuit vehicle's trailer and arson investigators had been contacted, according to Drucker.
The man was being evaluated by a drug recognition expert, the LAPD said.
