LONG BEACH, CA – A high-speed police chase in Long Beach culminated in a dramatic multi-car crash on Cherry Avenue and East 4th Street, turning a bustling thoroughfare into a scene of chaos.
The pursuit began when officers spotted a stolen BMW and attempted to pull it over. The driver, however, chose to flee, leading police on a high-speed chase through the city. As the BMW sped through a red light, it collided with another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction, sending the suspect’s car airborne and crashing into three parked cars.
Eyewitness Bash Lopez, who narrowly avoided the speeding BMW while riding his e-bike, described the harrowing experience. “We were inches away from each other,” he said, recounting how the driver swerved to avoid him before the collision.
The driver of the stolen BMW attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended on a nearby street. His passenger, trapped in the wreckage, had to be extricated by paramedics. Both men sustained upper body injuries and were transported to the hospital in stable condition.
Local business owners were left to clean up the aftermath as police conducted their preliminary investigation. Alexa Stubblefield, a resident living two blocks away, expressed her concerns about the necessity of such high-speed pursuits in densely populated areas. “There are usually a lot of people outside eating. If this had happened later, innocent bystanders could have been hurt,” she said.
The occupants of the other vehicle involved in the crash were also hospitalized with upper body injuries but are expected to recover. As the dust settled, 4th Street was reopened, though a small police presence remained.