A suspected DUI pursuit in the San Gabriel Valley ended in dramatic fashion Wednesday morning, when the vehicle deputies were tracking plowed into an existing crash scene and a building along the 1000 block of San Gabriel Boulevard in the city of San Gabriel. Aerial footage showed an SUV perched with its front end on top of a fence and a second car shoved onto the sidewalk with rear-end damage next to a restaurant. Officials said an ambulance took at least one person from the scene, and it was not immediately clear whether the pursuit driver was taken into custody. The block was briefly shut down as emergency crews moved in to secure the area and clear the wreckage.
What happened
Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department were chasing a suspected DUI driver in a vehicle carrying two occupants when the pursuit came to an abrupt halt at the crash site, according to NBC Los Angeles. The outlet reported that NewsChopper4 video captured the damaged SUV and another car at the scene near the restaurant and noted the crash was reported in the 1000 block of San Gabriel Boulevard. NBC Los Angeles also said an ambulance left with at least one patient while investigators and tow crews worked to remove debris and damaged vehicles.
Why pursuits can endanger bystanders
Reviews of police vehicle chases have consistently found that high-speed pursuits can injure or kill bystanders and passengers, even when the original offense is relatively minor. The San Francisco Chronicle's "Fast and Fatal" investigation compiled a national database of pursuit-related deaths and urged tighter pursuit policies and stronger data collection in an effort to cut down on collateral damage. The San Gabriel Valley crash is another reminder that busy commercial corridors and packed sidewalks heighten the risk when a chase barrels through.
Another recent San Gabriel Valley chase
Pursuits have been a recurring storyline across the San Gabriel Valley this year; the La Puente big-rig smash is one recent case where a suspected DUI chase ended with a vehicle crashing into a commercial truck. That January incident briefly tangled traffic as the sheriff's department investigated, showing how the chaotic final seconds of a pursuit can ripple through nearby neighborhoods and local business strips. In situations like these, authorities typically turn to aerial, dash and body-camera footage to review what happened and decide how to proceed with any potential charges.
What to expect next
As NBC Los Angeles noted, Los Angeles County sheriff's investigators and city traffic teams are likely to pull together surveillance clips, aerial video and witness accounts before releasing more information. Processing a scene like this can take hours while detectives document the crash, reconstruct the sequence of events and coordinate vehicle removal. This story will be updated when agencies issue official statements or release booking details.
