A short police pursuit through South Los Angeles ended in tragedy on May 23, when a Tesla crashed into a Mercedes at Slauson Avenue and Denker Avenue, killing the Mercedes driver. According to investigators, the Tesla driver took off on foot after the wreck before officers detained the suspect nearby. Los Angeles Fire Department crews tried to save the Mercedes driver but were unable to revive the person at the scene. Officers also reported that a bicyclist was hit during the incident and left the area before cooperating with investigators. The Los Angeles Police Department’s Multi-Disciplinary Collision Investigation Team is now leading the case.
In a July 7 statement, the Los Angeles Police Department said a 77th Division patrol unit first spotted a Tesla driving recklessly northbound on Figueroa Street at 61st Street around 8:50 p.m. An attempted traffic stop quickly turned into a brief pursuit, which officers called off after losing sight of the vehicle. As other units moved into the area, one 77th patrol unit made a U-turn on Slauson Avenue and saw the Tesla slam into a Mercedes at Slauson and Denker. Officers detained the Tesla driver at the scene and later booked the suspect on a felony evading charge, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Video clips and a running timeline on the Citizen app show bystanders recording the aftermath and a close-up of the heavily damaged Tesla. The incident feed includes posts and timestamps that line up with the department’s account, including a user upload of the wrecked vehicle.
Charges and legal stakes
Officers arrested the Tesla driver on a felony count under California Vehicle Code section 2800.3, which covers evading an officer when that flight proximately causes a death. Under that law, a conviction can carry a state prison sentence of four, six, or ten years. The full statute is posted on the state Legislature’s website.
Investigators press for tips and offer support
The LAPD’s Multi-Disciplinary Collision Investigation Team is handling the follow-up, and the department said the Mayor’s Crisis Response Team and the LAPD Family Liaison Unit responded to support the victim’s family. Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact MCIT Detective Chang Kim at 213-486-0690 or to submit an anonymous tip through the LAPD website, as outlined in the Los Angeles Police Department statement.
Why pursuits are risky
High-speed chases regularly end in crashes that hurt or kill people who were never part of the original crime, and recent data suggests those outcomes are becoming more common. A JAMA Network Open analysis found that pursuit-related motor vehicle deaths increased between 2009 and 2023 (JAMA Network Open). The San Francisco Chronicle investigation "Fast and Fatal" separately documented thousands of pursuit deaths that did not show up in federal tallies.
MCIT said the investigation remains active, and that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will decide whether to file additional charges as investigators review vehicle telemetry, witness video, and officers’ body-worn camera footage.
