A driver in a stolen big rig truck led California Highway Patrol on a nearly hourlong, wrong-way chase overnight before police fatally shot him, according to officials.
The incident began before midnight on Tuesday on the 210 Freeway near San Bernardino, where police pursued a truck traveling in the wrong direction, police said.
Officers chased the truck that proceeded to the 10 Freeway, where police set up a roadblock to stop the driver with the help of a police helicopter, KTLA reported.
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The suspect tried to make a U-turn in the truck when officers shot him, ending the chase on the freeway in the city of Fontana, according to police. The driver, who law enforcement has not identified, later died.
“We’re not talking about a small vehicle. We’re talking about a big rig here,” said highway patrol officer Ramon Duran, who called the incident “extremely dangerous.”
“What could have happened could have been catastrophic,” Duran said. “Obviously, we’re fortunate that no innocent victims were injured during this incident.”
“A big rig is something that’s very difficult to stop once momentum is going,” Duran also said of the incident.
Police took a second person who was also in the truck into custody, Duran added.
The eastbound lanes of the 10 Freeway closed completely and were still closed as of 9:18 a.m. local time, according to a tweet from the California Department of Transportation.
Motorists are advised that I-10 will remain closed possibly into morning commute. Please take alienate routes to avoid closure at Sierra in Fontana. https://t.co/f4nTs5JREm
— Caltrans District 8 (@Caltrans8) June 23, 2021
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The Washington Examiner reached out to California Highway Patrol for more information but did not immediately receive a response.
