LAPD Pursuit From Vernon Ave Sideshow Ends in Crash Near Exposition Park, Three Flee

A black BMW crashed at the intersection of 38th Street and Western Avenue early Saturday after Los Angeles police chased it away from a reported street takeover, and three suspects dressed in black scattered on foot into the surrounding South Los Angeles blocks. The driver ran east while two passengers split off running west, according to authorities, and as of late Saturday morning no arrests had been reported in connection with the crash.

The pursuit began after officers were dispatched to a reported street takeover at 2:28 a.m. Saturday at Western and Vernon avenues, according to LAPD Officer Jason Lee, a member of the department's media relations section, in comments reported by MyNewsLA.com. The chase covered roughly 1.5 miles up Western Avenue before the BMW crashed at 38th Street, according to mapping from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, putting the crash site near the edge of the Exposition Park area. LAPD said the pursuit ended at 2:57 a.m., meaning the entire chase unfolded in under 30 minutes.

An ambulance was requested to the crash scene, per LAPD, though the department reported that additional information on possible injuries was unavailable. All three suspects fled on foot after the crash, per the same account, with the driver breaking east and the two passengers running west, leaving officers to search the surrounding streets for anyone matching their description in black clothing.

A Familiar Pattern Across South LA Street Takeovers

The Vernon Avenue dispatch fits a pattern that has repeated across Los Angeles this summer, as officers are pulled from other assignments to break up late-night sideshows only to end up chasing fleeing drivers. Hoodline has tracked LAPD units pulled downtown for a similar dispatch earlier this month, and other recent takeovers have turned violent, including a shooting during a Boyle Heights takeover in July and another pre-dawn South LA incident that same week that left a man in critical condition.

The risks tied to these chases extend beyond the suspects themselves. LAPD recorded a record 1,116 vehicle pursuits across Los Angeles in 2024, resulting in 114 civilian injuries and three civilian deaths, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. An earlier LAPD pursuit study presented to the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners found that between 2018 and early 2023, nearly half of all people injured in chase collisions — 496 of 1,032 — were innocent bystanders, per the Los Angeles Times.

What Happens Next for the Fleeing Driver

Fleeing or attempting to elude a pursuing officer with willful or wanton disregard for safety is a felony under California Vehicle Code Section 2800.2, according to the California Highway Patrol. That same section can apply once investigators identify who was behind the wheel of the BMW. California law enforcement agencies also frequently rely on court-issued 30-day seizure warrants to impound vehicles tied to takeovers or pursuits when drivers escape on foot, the CHP notes, a tool that could come into play if the BMW's owner is identified through registration records.

Separately, under Vehicle Code Section 23109.2 and Assembly Bill 3, officers already have authority to impound vehicles involved in illegal street takeovers or speed contests for up to 30 days at the owner's expense, according to the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. Bystanders who gather near takeovers also face consequences: standing within 150 feet of an illegal street takeover on public roadways is a misdemeanor or infraction carrying fines up to $500 under Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 47.15.

Regional Crackdown Continues to Escalate

Los Angeles County leaders announced proposed code updates in July that would raise misdemeanor fines up to $1,000 for street takeover organizers and promoters, responding to a rise in violent sideshow incidents across the region. State guidelines from the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training also require officers to continuously weigh public safety risks against the severity of a suspected offense before starting or continuing a pursuit — a standard that governs exactly the kind of dispatch-to-chase scenario that unfolded off Vernon Avenue.

It remains unclear whether LAPD Air Support was overhead during Saturday's chase; the division's helicopters assisted in 38% of all LAPD pursuits between 2018 and early 2023, per FOX 11 Los Angeles, often helping ground units track suspects who abandon their vehicles. Whether the BMW was registered to one of the three suspects, and whether investigators are pursuing a seizure warrant or nearby surveillance footage to identify them, has not been disclosed.