A sheriff's deputy in a helicopter shot at a suspected home invasion
robber who led authorities on a 100-mph chase Friday, and the suspect
died on a Southern California freeway, authorities said.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the man had been wounded by gunfire
or died from other injuries, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Deputy Deon
Filer said.
Deputies began pursuing the robbery suspect from the Fontana area east of Los Angeles around midday, authorities said.
The gray Chevrolet Tahoe reached speeds of 100 mph as it raced along
streets and traveled southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate
215 into San Bernardino, sideswiping a car, authorities said.
The wrong-way driving prompted a deputy to open fire on the SUV from a helicopter.
Department policy permits deputies to fire shots from a helicopter and
while rare, it has happened before, although not in recent years, Filer
said.
"We actually train, the pilots train, to shoot from helicopters," Filer said.
"It's a public-safety issue," Deputy Olivia Bozek said. "Once he starts
going the wrong way, obviously he doesn't care about passengers or
pedestrians or other cars that are around."
TV reports showed at least five gunshots in the SUV's hood.
The driver then bailed out of the vehicle, which kept rolling and
crashed head-on into a Dodge Durango. Three people in that SUV were
injured and taken to hospitals, officials said.
One was listed in critical condition and two were in fair condition, KABC-TV reported.
The fleeing driver, meanwhile, continued along the freeway until he
collapsed a short distance away near an overpass. He died at the scene.
The incident closed the northbound lanes for hours, backing up traffic for miles. The lanes reopened Saturday morning.
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