Driver arrested after wild police chase through South L.A.

Feb. 8, 2017 6:25 PM PT

A man was arrested Wednesday after he crashed into several vehicles during a wild police chase that ended in South Los Angeles.

Few details were released about the chase, which began just before 3:50 p.m. at Figueroa Street and 8th Street in downtown Los Angeles, according to Officer Liliana Preciado, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department.

Driving a white sports car, the man sped through traffic lanes, nearly hitting cars on the road. An officer fired shots at the driver but did not strike him, Preciado said.

At one point, the man got onto the 110 Freeway and zoomed past the traffic backlog.

The man sped through a South L.A. neighborhood, where he hit at least two vehicles, causing one to flip onto its side, and was a part of several other smaller collisions.

After colliding with the vehicles, the driver finally stopped.

As officers pointed their guns toward the driver, nearly a dozen officers worked to rescue a woman trapped inside the overturned vehicle.

After several tense moments, the motorist was freed. Police said the woman was injured, but the severity of her injuries was not immediately clear.

The driver surrendered to police and was taken into custody.

The chase came hours after police arrested a driver following a pursuit in North Hollywood.

In that chase, police said the driver had told officers he had a gun, entered a minivan and drove off.

Officers followed the driver through the San Fernando Valley. At one point, a cameraman walked up to the driver, who was stopped in traffic.

The cameraman was not injured.

Times staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report