Man dies after attacking taxi driver, crashing own car, police say

A man died in Fullerton early Wednesday morning after police say he attacked his taxi driver, fled from officers in his own vehicle and then slammed into a house.

The police car chase lasted only about a minute and covered just a half-mile before the man, whose name was not immediately released, lost control and went “straight through a palm tree,” hit a parked car and barreled into the corner of a house in the 100 block of North Roosevelt Avenue, said Fullerton police Sgt. Jeff Stuart.

Authorities were called at 2:06 a.m. by the taxi driver, who said his passenger smelled of alcohol and had assaulted him near the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and East Wilshire Avenue.

The assault occurred when the taxi driver dropped off the man, who then “went around to the driver’s side of the taxi and an altercation ensued,” Stuart said. “He basically attacked the driver.”

The taxi driver called police and followed the man to his Scion, which he pointed out to officers.

“When police attempted to contact the driver, he sped away,” Stuart said.

The pursuit lasted only about a half-mile before the suspect lost control of the Scion as he tried to negotiate an intersection.

No one in the house was injured, nor were any officers.

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