Reported outcome
The available public account identifies the driver as a possible DUI suspect who was taken into custody in Encino shortly after 11:30 p.m. Thursday, according to NBC Los Angeles. NBC reported that a black BMW traveled from the Westlake area toward the San Fernando Valley during an approximately 30-minute pursuit.
NBC reported that the BMW came close to hitting a pedestrian near MacArthur Park, ran red lights and made other hazardous movements on city streets. The account said the vehicle reached the 101 Freeway near the Rampart Boulevard on-ramp, where California Highway Patrol units became involved.
Route and agency response
NBC reported that the BMW was traveling at nearly 100 miles per hour on the freeway. After CHP units joined the incident near Balboa Avenue, the vehicle stopped near Heartland Street in Encino and the driver was detained. Those details remain attributed to NBC because no primary agency account is included here.
A California Highway Patrol policy document states that CHP has primary jurisdiction on freeways, toll roads and adjacent transit facilities. That policy provides general jurisdictional context but does not explain the decisions made during this particular incident.
Policy and broader figures
LAPD's Special Order No. 5, approved in July 2025, says officers may not initiate a pursuit solely for an infraction, misdemeanor evading or reckless driving in response to police enforcement. It allows pursuit of suspects when officers have reasonable suspicion or probable cause of a qualifying offense, including conduct indicating driving under the influence. The order lists public safety, speed, traffic, location and the seriousness of the suspected offense among factors officers should weigh; it does not establish which factors applied here.
ABC7 reported LAPD figures showing 1,116 vehicle pursuits in Los Angeles during 2024. The figures cited by the station included 353 crashes, 114 civilian injuries and three civilian deaths. The statistics provide citywide context and do not describe the Encino incident.
How often do pursuits end in crashes?
According to NBC Los Angeles, LAPD officers were involved in 45% more car chases in 2024 than the prior year, with about a third resulting in crashes, 114 reported injuries to uninvolved motorists or pedestrians and three deaths. Statewide figures provide a separate comparison: a California Highway Patrol report to the Legislature said 11,985 pursuits were reported in California in 2022. Of those, 2,275, or 19%, resulted in a crash, including 798 injury crashes and 32 fatal crashes.
What remains unknown
The available account does not identify an incident number, say whether prosecutors filed charges or indicate whether toxicology testing confirmed impairment. The description of the driver as a possible DUI suspect therefore should not be treated as a confirmed finding, and the available material does not independently verify the details supplied by NBC.
