A driver and four passengers fled a stolen Kia Soul after a chase through southern Los Angeles County on Thursday that ended in the Hawthorne area.
The five men, all minors, fled into a residential area after a pursuit on the 110 Freeway and nearby roads on a day when traffic was light for the Fourth of July holiday. The pursuit sped up after the driver exited onto a Wilmington-area road.
The driver returned to the Carson Freeway, where he reached speeds of up to 90 mph. The Soule crossed lanes and onto the shoulder while passing another vehicle on a relatively open Los Angeles highway.
The driver ran several red lights and then stopped at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and West 129th Street in the Hawthorne neighborhood, where all occupants simultaneously exited the Kia and sped through apartment buildings. They were arrested late Thursday afternoon.
“I don’t know what’s going on with our generation. They can’t think straight. They have better things to do than steal a car, show it off, get chased and arrested,” said a Hawthorne neighbour.
Police released some of the minor passengers to their parents shortly thereafter.
Details about the first crime in the South Los Angeles area were not immediately released.
