101 Freeway shut down after deadly pursuit ends in Boyle Heights
A police pursuit of a stolen vehicle came to an end early Wednesday when the driver was struck and killed on the northbound 101 Freeway in Boyle Heights as he tried to run away from officers, authorities said.
The deadly incident triggered a SigAlert, and all northbound lanes at Fourth Street were closed for three hours. The westbound 60 and northbound 5 freeway transitions to the 101 lanes remained shut down as of 6 a.m.
The pursuit began at 3:05 a.m. after officers tried to stop the driver of a black Toyota SUV on Olympic Boulevard near Downey Road in East Los Angeles in connection with a stolen-vehicle report, said Officer Francisco Villalobos of the California Highway Patrol. The male driver continued driving and got onto the northbound 101, he said.
Police followed the driver, who exited off Fourth Street in Boyle Heights. As he exited the freeway, he struck a tree and fence, Villalobos said.
The driver then got out of the damaged SUV and ran to an embankment along the northbound 101. As he tried to bolt across the freeway lanes, he was struck by a vehicle, Villalobos said.
The 25-year-old driver died at the scene, he said.
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