A driver who fled the scene of a crash was fatally shot by a California Highway Patrol officer who caught up with him on railroad tracks near the Ontario airport Thursday evening, officials said.
The man had a metal pipe when a CHP officer confronted him around 4:20 p.m. on the tracks just south of Gausti Road, near the intersection with Haven Avenue, said Cpl. Eric Quinones with the Ontario Police Department, which is investigating the shooting.
The car crash occurred around 4 p.m., according to CHP. The agency could not be reached Thursday evening for further details on the location or circumstances.
When CHP officers arrived at the crash scene, the driver involved had fled, Quinones said.
The man was on foot when CHP found him on the railroad tracks, according to Quinones. The corporal did not know whether a foot pursuit was involved.
It’s unclear what prompted CHP to use lethal force. One officer fired multiple shots, Quinones said.
Haven Avenue was closed between Jurupa Street and Guasti Road for an unknown duration while authorities processed the scene.
Ontario police are handling the shooting investigation, while CHP is investigating the traffic collision.
No further details were available.
