On Saturday, February 25, 2023, at about 9:40 PM, Hawthorne police officers located a car reported stolen in a carjacking. Information from the original crime report indicated that the suspect in the carjacking was armed with a firearm. The driver did not yield when officers attempted to pull the car over, and a pursuit was initiated.
During the pursuit, while travelling south on the 405 Freeway near the Rosecrans Avenue offramp, a Hawthorne police officer lost control of a police car and collided with a freeway median. No other vehicles were involved in the collision. The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the location to treat the officer, who was transported to a local hospital in stable condition.
The California Highway Patrol responded to assist with incident and will be handling the collision investigation.
At this time, the suspect and the suspect vehicle, described as a 2022 white Hyundai Santa Fe, have not been located by law enforcement.
