An alleged car thief died Monday after at least two vehicles hit him on the 110 Freeway in Los Angeles, California, officials said.
The suspect, not identified, tried climbing out of the driver’s side window of a moving van amid a police chase that was initiated shortly after 8:30 p.m. local time, KTLA reported, citing authorities. The suspected thief landed on the center divider and fell into lanes of oncoming traffic, where authorities said he was subsequently hit.
Officers were observed trying to use life-saving measures after shutting down traffic and swarming the suspect. The moment the alleged thief was seemingly struck was captured on video by KCAL News’ SkyKCAL.
“Oh my God! Oh no, oh no,” an anchor can be heard saying.
“Stay wide, he got hit,” another person can be heard giving instructions to the camera operator.
Police close 110 Freeway after deadly pursuit near Highland Park https://t.co/3sVgJSkNED
— CBS LA (@CBSLosAngeles) October 21, 2025
A dog was inside the van at the time of the incident, KTLA reported. Animal control was called to recover it, but it is unclear if the animal sustained any injuries. (RELATED: Teen Hunter Found Dead In Deer Stand After Being Struck By Lightning, Police Say)
The incident resulted in all lanes of the freeway being closed for six hours, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) said in a post shared to X late Monday local time.
“SIGALERT ISSUED IN LOS ANGELES: NB I-110 SOUTH OF AVE 52 ALL LANES ARE CLOSED. SB I-110 NORTH OF AVENUE 43 ALL LANES ARE CLOSED. THE CLOSURE WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR APPROXIMATELY SIX HOURS DUE TO POLICE ACTIVITY.”
“PLEASE DRIVE WITH CAUTION IF TRAVELING THROUGH THIS AREA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS OUR OFFICERS WORK TO RESOLVE THE SITUATION,” the CHP wrote.
The freeway reopened shortly before 2:00 a.m. Tuesday local time, ABC 7 reported, citing the CHP. The alleged thief was declared dead on-scene. Officials did not reveal where the suspect allegedly took the van from, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.
The Daily Caller contacted the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), but did not receive a comment in time for publication.