A 66-year-old woman suffered life-threatening injuries in the Encanto area on Monday afternoon after a suspect fleeing police collided head-on with the vehicle she was a passenger in, San Diego police said.
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The collision occurred shortly before 4:15 p.m. after officers initiated a pursuit of a Jeep Cherokee driven by a 20-year-old man traveling eastbound on Imperial Avenue, according to the San Diego Police Department. Officers tried to pull over the SUV because it didn’t have a license plate and the driver was speeding, a police spokesperson said.
During the chase, the driver crossed into oncoming westbound lanes. Officers terminated the ground pursuit, and the department’s helicopter unit began tracking the vehicle from above.
Moments later, the Jeep collided head-on with an eastbound Toyota Camry on Imperial Avenue near 64th Street, police said. The driver fled the crash scene on foot but was quickly taken into custody.
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The collision left a passenger in the Toyota with life-threatening injuries. She underwent surgery at a hospital.
The 61-year-old male driver of the Toyota suffered a left rib fracture, while the suspect reported head pain.
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Police said alcohol or drug impairment was not a factor in the collision.
Staff writer Karen Kucher contributed to this report.
