A pursuit suspect died Thursday afternoon after they drove off a cliff while evading law enforcement in Azusa.
The crash happened in the Angeles Forest in the hills above Azusa near Morris Reservoir.
The incident began when Azusa police were called for a welfare check at an undisclosed location. At some point, that welfare check evolved into a short pursuit.
Police said the driver of the involved vehicle went off a cliff in an area near Highway 39 and Glendora Mountain Road.
First responders from the Los Angeles County Fire Department Search and Rescue team and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Mountain Rescue Team were called to assist with the rescue.
Emergency crews were checking to see whether or not the driver was alive, but the person’s condition was not immediately released.
KTLA’s Gil Leyvas, who was overhead in Sky5, reported that the driver was dead and a “gruesome” scene was visible from the air. The rescue operation has since shifted to a body recovery.
Highway 39 was closed at the information booth located in the area of the crash, but Glendora Mountain Road remained open, Azusa police said.
