A driver who led police on a high-speed chase through Orange County beach cities was being treated for serious injuries Sunday evening , and his passenger died.
Huntington Beach police initiated the pursuit around 5:35 a.m. at Goldenwest Street and Ellis Avenue when a patrol officer ran the plates on a black Honda Accord with two men inside, discovering the vehicle had been flagged as stolen.
Police tried to stop them, but the driver didn’t pull over, racing south instead. He maneuvered the car through downtown Huntington Beach, at speeds that sometimes soared above 100 miles per hour. The chase seemed so dangerous that by the time they reached Brookhurst Street, so a police supervisor made the call to let the suspects get away, instead of risking the safety of the public by potentially causing the driver to act even more reckless, Huntington Beach police said.
Minutes later, Newport Beach police found the Accord had crashed at Old Newport Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway.
The passenger died in the solo-vehicle crash and the driver took off on foot, but was later tracked down and arrested, according to Capt. Tim Martin of the Huntington Beach Police Department.
The driver is now being treated for serious injuries, but his name isn’t being released, nor are the charges against him, due to his current medical state.
Anyone with information about the incident was urged to call the Huntington Beach Police Department detectives at 714-536-5951 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.
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