High-speed pursuit ends in deadly crash into freeway pillar on live news

A woman died after she led police on a high-speed pursuit across Los Angeles and Kern counties that ended with a horrific crash into a pillar in Gorman that was captured live on local news.

The pursuit began around 2 p.m. when Los Angeles police attempted to pull over a suspected stolen vehicle in Sylmar. The driver, described as an approximately 30-year-old woman, led police onto the 5 Freeway approaching the 118 Freeway in the Newhall area, according to a news release from the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP took over the pursuit as it continued north, but suspended the chase when it approached a construction zone. Helicopter footage from KTLA-TV showed the driver maneuver her 2024 Honda CRV around traffic and knock into several construction cones.

The driver exited and reentered the freeway multiple times, according to CHP Officer D.C. Williams. After getting back onto the freeway heading south, the pursuit reached speeds up to 120 mph. As the driver approached the transition from the 5 south to the 138 east, she lost control of the vehicle, which struck a guard rail and overturned as it slammed into a support column for the freeway overpass, Williams said.

“This is not the outcome we ever want to see in these pursuits,” Williams said. “Out of the hundreds of pursuits that take place each year, it’s a rarity that they end like this.”

The driver appeared to be wearing her seat belt at the time of the crash but her injuries were obviously fatal, according to officers who arrived first on the scene, Williams said. The driver was identified as Anna Zauner, 26, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner, and the incident remains under investigation.