Freeway Chase Ends in Crash; 2 Injured

A car driven by a Chatsworth man crashed into a brick wall in Newbury Park after leading authorities on a harrowing lights-off chase along the dark Ventura Freeway at speeds up to 115 m.p.h., authorities said Monday.

The driver, identified as John Turner, 20, was in critical condition Monday at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Passenger Hanz Hoffman, 22, of Canoga Park underwent surgery at the hospital. A condition report was not immediately available.

The pursuit began Sunday night in Ventura, where police attempted to pull over Turner’s vehicle on suspicion that he was driving under the influence of alcohol, according to a Ventura County Sheriff’s Department report.

At that point, Turner turned off his headlights, accelerated toward the freeway and headed for Los Angeles, authorities said.

At Pleasant Valley Road, two California Highway Patrol cars took up the chase. Still driving with his lights off, Turner hit speeds up to 115 m.p.h., they said.

The Mustang he was driving made an abrupt exit at Ventu Park Road and slammed into a brick wall at an unoccupied housing development with such force that it took Thousand Oaks firefighters more than 40 minutes to extract Turner and Hoffman, officials said.

Authorities speculated that Turner panicked because there is an outstanding warrant for his arrest on a felony stolen property charge.

Charges of evading law enforcement officers, a felony, will be sought against Turner and Hoffman, authorities said.