One person was killed and several others hospitalized when a vehicle being chased by police crashed into another car and overturned in Buena Park Monday night.
The crash occurred around 11:40 p.m. at La Palma Avenue and Knott Avenue following a short pursuit near Knott’s Berry Farm.
The chase began when officers identified a stolen black sedan at a McDonald’s restaurant on Beach Boulevard about a mile away.
A witness said that police surrounded the sedan, which was in the drive-thru lane, but the driver went over a curb to get out of line.
“The cop PIT maneuvered his butt. Hit him in the back and he still kept going,” the witness identified as Stacy said.
The pursuit ended when the car sped through the La Palma and Knott intersection and hit a white Mercedes-Benz.
The Mercedes-Benz was left with major front-end damage while the stolen black vehicle flipped over and caught fire.
The Orange County Fire Authority was called to the scene and treated multiple patients.
Two people were extracted from the stolen vehicle, including one who was transported to a local hospital and a 24-year-old man who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two adults and two children suffered minor to moderate injuries in the Mercedes-Benz but were able to get out on their own before being taken to the hospital.
A fifth victim, a bystander with a bicycle, was also injured and taken to a hospital in unknown condition.
The intersection was expected to remain closed until the late-morning hours for the investigation.
