Authorities suspect a driver was intoxicated when he drove the wrong way into an intersection while being chased by Azusa police, causing a five-vehicle crash Monday evening, officials said.
Three people were hospitalized, two of them from the stolen pursuit vehicle, following the collision around 5:45 p.m. in the intersection of Arrow Highway and Barranca Avenue, said California Highway Patrol Officer Rodrigo Jimenez.
The intersection is in Citrus, on the border with Covina and Glendora.
An Acura Integra that had been reported stolen out of Azusa was driving south on Barranca Avenue when it entered the intersection with Arrow Highway in the northbound lanes, Jimenez said.
The Acura collided with a white Toyota Camry, sparking a chain-reaction crash that involved three other vehicles. Footage from the scene showed the cars scattered across the intersection.
The pursuit driver was ejected from the stolen vehicle, and authorities don’t believe he or his passenger were wearing a seat belt due to the extent of their injuries.
Both were hospitalized with serious injuries, Jimenez said.
Although alcohol or drugs are suspected of playing a role in the crash, that line of investigation can’t yet be pursued due to the severity of the driver’s injuries, according to Jimenez.
Authorities have identified the pursuit driver as a 30-year-old Duarte man and his passenger as a 23-year-old man. Their names were not immediately available.
A passenger in the Camry was hospitalized with minor injuries, while the driver of that vehicle complained of minor pain but was not transported, Jimenez said.
CHP did not join the pursuit but is handling the investigation into the crash, while Azusa police are leading the pursuit investigation.
No further details were available Monday night.
