Carjacker Dies After Stealing Cop Car, Jumping Out In the Middle of High-Speed Chase

An intense police pursuit in California ended in death when a man who stole a cop cruiser bailed out of the vehicle while it was still moving at 46 miles per hour.

It all began on Tuesday when California Highway Patrol was called to a freeway after being alerted about a reckless driver who crashed into another car. When officers arrived to investigate, the suspect somehow managed to get into the patrol car and drove off.

Fox 11 reports that CHP cars are allowed to keep the engine running during a traffic stop, though the doors are supposed to be locked. The CHP says that assault weapons were kept inside of that car, though the thief never gained access to them in the high-speed chase that followed.

Fox 11’s news helicopter followed the stolen cruiser throughout the chase, and they captured footage of the vehicle losing its tires after running through a spike strip. Shortly after, the suspect opened the driver’s side door, jumped out of the car, and tumbled across the road as he was still going 46 mph.

The cop car kept drifting until it hit a utility pole and finally came to a stop on the side of the road. Officers arrived moments later to move the suspect’s body out of the road, and they tried to administer first aid until the ambulance arrived. The suspect was later confirmed dead from his injuries.

Watch above via NBC Los Angeles.