SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A stolen car led a high-speed chase from Riverside County into San Diego County and crashed on Interstate 15 the Escondido area, and authorities confirmed one person was found dead inside the vehicle after the wreck.
ABC 10News learned the incident began at around 1 a.m. when the driver of a Toyota Camry reported being carjacked at gunpoint in Hemet.
Hemet Police Department officials confirmed no one was injured in the carjacking incident.
A short time later, Murrieta Police spotted the stolen car and tried to stop it, but the driver refused to pull over and sped away onto southbound I-15.
During the pursuit, the Camry ran over spike strips that were laid down by the California Highway Patrol on southbound I-15 near Gopher Canyon Road, but it continued south for several more miles despite severely damaging the two front tires.
Near the Deer Springs Road exit, the Camry veered into the center divider, swerved to the right and then crashed into a guardrail on the right shoulder before coming to a stop.
Law enforcement officers approached the wrecked car and tried to contact the driver, but there was no response.
Officers approached the Camry and found the driver -- the car’s lone occupant -- dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Due to the law enforcement response, the right lane on southbound I-15 at Deer Springs Road was shut down for several hours.
All impacted lanes were reopened by 10:45 a.m., Caltrans said.
