A driver behind the wheel of a stolen adult day care transit van with a 93-year-old passenger inside was arrested Thursday after a pursuit on streets in the San Fernando Valley.
The chase began near Fulton Avenue and Burbank Boulevard in the Van Nuys area after the theft of the Golden Age Adult Day Health Care Center van. Administrator Elliott Galynsky said he received a call from the office about the van theft.
"My first reaction was, 'Is everybody ok? Was there anybody in it?'"
The van was transporting a patient to another location when the woman jumped in and stole it, the LAPD said.
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A 93-year-old Golden Age patient was inside the van as the driver swerved across lanes and dodged traffic. The van is equipped with tracking devices, so Galynsky called 911 and reported the van stolen to police. He also followed the tracking system toward the van.
The chase came to an end when the driver pulled up to a gate in a drive way to a business parking lot in Van Nuys. She was blocked in by several patrol vehicles and surrendered to police.
Video from NewsChopper4 showed as least one passenger exit the van. Paramedics responded to the scene, but there were no immediate reports of hospitalizations.
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"He's in good spirits," Galynsky said of the passenger. "Not hurt, but shaken up."
