A Santa Monica road rage investigation erupted into a 45-minute, multi-jurisdiction police pursuit Tuesday morning, as a suspect fled officers and led law enforcement across Los Angeles-area freeways and city streets at speeds exceeding 100 mph before being taken into custody.
Santa Monica Police Department investigators attempted to arrest the suspect around 7 a.m. Tuesday in connection with a road rage incident that had occurred a couple of weeks earlier, but the driver fled the scene in a black Range Rover, police said.
The California Highway Patrol was called in to assist at approximately 7:17 a.m. and picked up pursuit of the SUV on the southbound 405 Freeway just south of the 118 Freeway near Pacoima.
The chase continued through central Los Angeles and onto the 101 Freeway before moving onto surface streets. The driver then traveled down Vermont Avenue and merged onto the eastbound 10 Freeway.
Aerial news footage showed the SUV crossing into oncoming lanes at several points during the pursuit and narrowly avoiding collisions as it reached speeds topping 100 mph.
The pursuit ended around 7:55 a.m. near San Gabriel Boulevard and Hill Drive in South San Gabriel, when an officer used a patrol vehicle to push the SUV to a stop. The driver surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident.
The underlying investigation stems from a road rage incident reported on July 3 at approximately 8:25 p.m. near 18th Street and Broadway in Santa Monica. According to police, the driver of a black sedan fired a single round at another driver during the confrontation, striking the victim's vehicle. The victim was not struck or injured.
The suspect fled before officers arrived at the scene that night, and SMPD investigators worked in the weeks since to identify and locate the driver, leading to Tuesday's attempted arrest and pursuit.
The suspect's identity and potential charges had not been released as of Tuesday.
The Westside Current contributed to this report.