Driver fleeing police hits, kills driver in Orange County

A woman died after a theft suspect crashed into her car while fleeing police in La Palma on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

The victim, identified only as a woman in her 60s driving a blue BMW, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Fullerton Police Department.

The driver of the other vehicle — whom authorities identified as Anthony Hanzel, 40, of Anaheim — was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries, police said.

Hanzel will be booked at Fullerton City Jail for charges including hit-and-run, petty theft and felony evading, authorities said. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will investigate the fatal crash.

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Surveillance camera video shared by OnScene.TV shows a white Nissan Rogue running a red light and slamming into a blue BMW, sending it across the intersection of La Palma Avenue and Moody Street. Both vehicles can then be seen colliding with three cars sitting at the light.

“I was at the intersection at a red light, and I saw a police chase happening and the cars came straight at me going the other way,” Lauren Lau, whose car sustained minor damage, told OnScene.TV. “There was a complete T-bone and then those two cars hit me and then swerved off to the side.”

The pursuit began after a Fullerton police detective saw a theft suspect driving away from the area of North Gilbert Street and West Malvern Avenue at 12:38 p.m., police said.

Officers attempted to stop the suspect, who fled. During the chase, the suspect was involved in a nonfatal hit-and-run collision near Brookhurst Road and Orangethorpe Avenue, police said.

The driver then sped onto the westbound 91 Freeway and exited at Knott Avenue, where officers lost track of the car, police said.

Officers from the Buena Park Police Department briefly spotted the suspect’s vehicle, but also lost track of it. La Palma Police Department officers then spotted the car by La Palma Avenue and Walker Street and took over the pursuit. The suspect crashed a short time later.