A road-rage incident followed by a police pursuit Monday led to the death of an innocent driver whose vehicle was hit by an angry motorist in a fiery crash, Whittier police said.
The collision took place about 11 a.m. in the area of Greenleaf Avenue and Whittier Boulevard.
According to police, an officer tried to stop a suspicious vehicle whose driver was engaged in an apparent road-rage incident. The driver refused to stop and a brief pursuit ensued, during which the driver allegedly tried to ram at least three patrol cars, which took evasive action to avoid a crash.
Local
Local news from across Southern California
The chase ended when the driver plowed into an another vehicle, setting that vehicle on fire.
The driver of the vehicle that was hit was taken to a hospital and later died from injuries, police said. The victim was identified by his brother as 61-year-old Isaias Cruz, a father of four.
The driver who allegedly caused the crash was arrested and has been identified by police as 34-year-old Kevin Vargas of Santa Fe Springs. An officer told reporters at the scene that Vargas would be booked on suspicion of felony evading and assault with a deadly weapon with other charges possibly to follow.
Anyone who witnessed the crash was asked to call Whittier police at (562) 567-9299. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.
