Alleged big rig thief in OC standoff after 8-hour pursuit across 3 counties

SANTA ANA — The operator of a stolen tractor trailer yet stopped connected the 55 Freeway successful Santa Ana aboriginal Thursday morning, and was successful a standoff with instrumentality enforcement.

Officers from the California Highway Patrol surrounded the tractor trailer astatine the MacArthur Boulevard exit conscionable aft 4 a.m. with the fishy refusing to travel retired of the rig, said a CHP spokeswoman.

The southbound lanes of the freeway were closed during the standoff.

The pursuit lasted 8 hours and began astir 8:14 p.m. Wednesday erstwhile the fishy allegedly stole the large rig from a nutrient work batch astatine Fifth and Indiana streets successful East Los Angeles, said CHP Officer Patrick Kimball.

After traversing respective Los Angeles and Ventura region freeways connected Wednesday, the fishy led officers connected a slow-speed pursuit into Orange County connected Thursday morning.

CHP officers attempted to dilatory the fishy down utilizing spike strips 8 times connected the freeways. The strips punctured respective of the tractor trailer’s tires — blowing 2 of the beforehand tyre wholly disconnected the rig — but the operator continued, driving astatine a slower complaint of speed.

Just earlier 11 p.m., 3 further attempts with the spike strips were utilized to nary avail, Kimball said.