A man died Thursday night after crashing a scooter-style motorcycle into another vehicle while fleeing Indio police, authorities said. The pursuit began after officers responded to a report of a man brandishing a firearm at Carreon Park and ended when the rider ran a red light and collided with an eastbound car crossing the intersection.
According to KESQ, officers received the report at approximately 8:16 p.m. Thursday in the 82000 block of Doctor Carreon Boulevard, describing a man brandishing a firearm at Carreon Park. A separate account from MyNewsLA put the initial call at about 8:15 p.m. the same evening. Indio Police Department officers located a man matching the suspect description riding a small scooter-style motorcycle, and when they attempted to stop him, he fled, according to the department.
A Chase Through Red Lights and Sidewalks
Police said the rider then committed a string of traffic violations as he tried to outrun the pursuing officers, including speeding, driving against oncoming traffic, riding onto sidewalks, and blowing through multiple stop signs and red lights, the outlet reports. The pursuit ended at the intersection of Madison Street and Avenue 48, where the rider entered the intersection against a red light and collided with a vehicle traveling eastbound.
The impact threw the rider from the scooter. Officers at the scene provided medical aid until paramedics arrived, but the man, reported by KESQ to be 38 years old, was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. Authorities have withheld his identity pending notification of next of kin.
Driver Uninjured, Road Shut for Hours
The driver of the other vehicle, a 37-year-old woman, was not injured in the crash. She remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, per the same account from MyNewsLA. Avenue 48 was closed for nearly five hours as investigators documented the scene and collected evidence.
The Indio Police Department Traffic Unit is investigating the collision, and the probe remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Indio Police Traffic Officer Peddycord at 760-391-4303.
Thursday’s crash was the second fatal pursuit-related collision reported in Indio in a span of 31 days. The Desert Sun reported that a man was killed and two women were critically injured on October 5 in a wrong-way crash that followed a separate police pursuit in the city.
