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Prius Tumbles Over Cliff During High-Speed Police Chase
Point Fermin (Photo by Matt Hovland via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
A police chase ended when a man drove a Toyota Prius right off a San Pedro cliff late Monday evening, police say.
The pursuit started around 11 p.m. at a crash scene in Wilmington, police told City News Service. Los Angeles Port Police and LAPD officers were working together when they tried to stop the suspect from going through the intersection where the crash had occurred. They claim that he went through the intersection despite their protestations and that he aimed his vehicle at them.
The chase went through downtown San Pedro, and the suspect hit speeds of up to 80 mph. They chased him down Gaffey Street until the point where it dead ends near the coast. That didn't stop the suspect who busted through a locked gate before tumbling over a cliff. Firefighters who responded said the Prius tumbled 250 to 300 feet down. (It's not clear where exactly he went over but Gaffey dead ends right at Point Fermin, which is pictured above.)
The driver was rescued and hospitalized with broken bones. He's been booked for assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.
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