A woman and five dogs died Tuesday in a multiple-vehicle crash involving a van that had been reported stolen and was being pursued by Long Beach Police.
Family identified the victim as Jessie Bingaman, a mother who ran a dog walking service called The Pawtenders.
The police pursuit began near Broadway and Alamitos Avenue around 11:30am when an officer spotted the van and attempted to pull it over, but the driver sped off, police said.
The pursuit was headed eastbound on Third Street through a residential neighborhood when the van collided with another vehicle in the intersection with Temple Avenue, according to witnesses who said the van was traveling in excess of 60 miles per hour and ran a stop sign.
One witness said she had just stopped for the intersection when the van crossed the center line to go around her.
"It was going so fast it was just a white streak," said Juanita Gaglio. An instant later, the van collided with the vehicle in the intersection, and before they slid to a stop, three parked cars on the other side were also struck.
Bingaman was in the other vehicle, struck on the driver's side, and was trapped in the wreckage. It took rescuers some 20 minutes to extricate her, witnesses said. She was transported, but did not survive. In the vehicle with her were six dogs, of which four were killed at the scene, and a fifth later died after being taken to a veterinary hospital.
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The pursuit driver, who was also was hospitalized, was identified as Javier Oliverez, 43, of Los Angeles, an ex-con with an outstanding warrant for robbery.
After treatment, he was booked into custody on charges including, evading a police officer, felony DUI, vehicular manslaughter, and he had an outstanding warrant for a post release violation, officials said.
Oliverez is being held at the Long Beach City Jail with no bail.
