The driver who would be responsible for having caused accident that killed one woman and sent nine others to hospital was identified.
The fatal crash took place after a high-speed police chase that started in Seal Beach and ended in Long Beach.
At approximately 7:58 p.m. Tuesday, a Seal Beach police officer stopped a silver 2006 Lexus sedan for a moving violation near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Marina Drive.
A car collided with a truck in Seminole County, Florida when the driver tried to flee from police
The car stopped and the officer checked the people inside: a driver and a passenger.
The officer returned to his vehicle to perform a driver’s records check when the passenger and driver changed seats. The man began leading the lead police in a high-speed chase.
The driver fled north on the Pacific Coast Highway toward the Long Beach area. After refusing to stop, around 8:05 p.m., the driver collided with several other vehicles.
The accident happened at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and 2nd Street in the city of Long Beach. The driver immediately fled on foot and the officer embarked on a brief pursuit. The officer then deployed his Taser to subdue the man and take him into custody.
Police identified the driver as Chaz Lamar Long, 39, from Antioch.
Long and the woman were injured and taken to hospital. After searching the vehicle, officers found a baby in the back seat. The baby was also taken to hospital for evaluation, said Lt. Julia Clasby of the Seal Beach Police Department.
A man who stole a CHP vehicle died after jumping out of the car during a police chase.
During the accident, eight other vehicles were struck and several drivers and passengers were injured and were taken to hospitals for treatment. A passenger in one of the vehicles was pronounced dead at the scene.
The identity of the victims and the condition of their injuries are unknown.
Long was remanded to the Long Beach Police Department and later found to have an “outstanding federal warrant without bail for weapons violation,” according to police.
Police chases have become an epidemic on the streets of Los Angeles County, and the sheriff’s office wanted to show the strategies they have in place to ensure these operations don’t take innocent lives.
The Long Beach Police Department is still investigating the incident.
Authorities are asking anyone who witnessed this crash to contact Long Beach Police Department Collision Investigation Detective Joseph Johnson at (562) 570-7355.
Anonymous tips can be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 TIPS” app on your smartphone (available on the Apple App Store and Google Play) or by visiting www.LACrimeStoppers.org.
This story first appeared on Telemundo 52’s sister station NBCLA. Click here to read this story in English.