Carjacking suspect leads police on 120 mph chase from North Hollywood to Palmdale
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A police chase that reached speeds of up to 120 mph ended in bizarre fashion Wednesday, when a suspected carjacker released a fuzzy white dog from a stolen vehicle and then tripped and fell as he attempted to run from officers.
The pursuit, which was broadcast live via helicopter, began in North Hollywood and ended in a residential neighborhood in Palmdale around noon.
The driver appeared to blunder into a cul-de-sac as police closed in. Moments before stopping the car and trying to run away, he jettisoned an excited white dog from the car.
The animal, which did not appear to be injured, continued running after the vehicle and then through the neighborhood as bystanders tried to capture it.
As the stolen vehicle rolled to a stop, the driver threw open his door and began running from police. He took only a few steps, however, before he tripped and fell on on a residential driveway.
After springing back to his feet, he shook his head in frustration and then surrendered to officers as a female bystander appeared to yell at him and the officers.
The chase began in North Hollywood, where Los Angeles police began pursuing a carjacking suspect in a stolen white sedan, according to LAPD Officer Mike Lopez.
The man drove north on the 14 Freeway and hit speeds of 120 mph before he exited in Palmdale. By that time, the LAPD had stopped following the vehicle and handed the pursuit off to the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Lopez said.
For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
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