The driver of a stolen U-Haul truck was arrested after a pursuit on South Los Angeles streets that ended when she ran from the vehicle in a downtown Los Angeles produce market.
Details about the vehicle theft that led to the chase were not immediately available. Officers began following the box truck near 61st Street and Broadway, just east of the 110 Freeway in South Los Angeles.
The driver appeared to gesture wildly as she drove through alleys and narrow streets, at times taking both hands off the wheel. She swerved between vehicles and crossed several double-yellow lines in a neighborhood near the 110 Freeway.
A cyclist was nearly clipped by the box truck as it entered downtown Los Angeles, where the driver appeared to be boxed in at a sprawling blocks-long produce market near 7th Street and Central Avenue. Officers emerged from patrol vehicles with guns drawn, but the driver managed a multi-point tight u-turn and slammed head-on into a patrol car as she sped away.
"We are very fortunate that no one was hurt," said Lt. Chris Ramirez, of the Los Angeles Police Department. "It's a very tight and confined space."
The driver ran from the vehicle after stopping near what appeared to be a loading area. Officers took her into custody near a vendors' stand.
There were no immediate reports of injuries. Officers opened fire at the produce market, but an initial investigation indicated the woman was not struck by gunfire, police said.
Police Chases
Video from Southern California's police pursuits and follow-ups on what happened after the chase
It was not immediately clear when the truck was stolen.
The chase was one of at least three in the Los Angeles area within hours, including one late Wednesday that ended in a violent standoff in Long Beach and another that began Thursday morning after a burglary report.
