A stolen minivan tearing through Hollywood on Wednesday evening ended in a crunch of metal and a hospital run after the driver rammed a Los Angeles Police Department patrol car, authorities said. The roughly 10-minute chase came to a close when the suspect slammed into the back of another vehicle, then veered into an alley near Detroit Street and Hawthorn Avenue and ditched the minivan. Officers caught up on foot and detained the person, while the Los Angeles Fire Department transported one person to a hospital. The suspect's condition has not been released.
How the Chase Unfolded
According to CBS Los Angeles, the LAPD said the pursuit kicked off around 5:35 p.m. after officers were notified the minivan had been reported stolen. Officers told the outlet the driver rear-ended another car, then cut into an alley near Detroit and Hawthorn, abandoned the vehicle, and tried to bolt on foot. LAPD units quickly cordoned off the alley and took the suspect into custody before paramedics arrived.
The Wider Danger of Pursuits
The Hollywood chase is the latest reminder of how fast even short city pursuits can turn into wrecks that injure people who had nothing to do with the crime. Reporting from the Los Angeles Times on LAPD data notes more than 4,200 pursuits between 2018 and early 2023, with roughly 1,600 ending in collisions and more than 1,000 people injured. Many of those hurt were bystanders, underscoring how risky chases can be on jammed city streets.
Why Departments Curb Pursuits
National investigations have found that pursuit-related deaths have been rising and that many fatal chases start over low-level offenses, which has pushed departments to tighten policies and training. The San Francisco Chronicle's in-depth reporting identified hundreds of chase-related deaths in recent years and warned that federal counts may understate the true toll. In many agencies, supervisors now weigh the immediate public-safety risk of a high-speed chase against the need to catch a suspect when they decide whether to keep a pursuit going.
What Authorities Say Now
The LAPD has not released the suspect's name or any potential charges, and the department is investigating the crash, according to CBS Los Angeles. Anyone with information about the incident has been asked to contact the LAPD's Hollywood Division as investigators continue their follow-up work.
