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The 18-year-old UC Irvine driver. Photo: Screenshot via NBC Los Angeles

Chinese student leads Los Angeles police on high-speed chase

Student claims that he "did not understand" why he had been chased

 
 

An 18-year-old Chinese driver and two passengers were pulled from a BMW by armed police after a high-speed chase along California's Pacific Highway Coast, where speeds reached almost 200km/h.

Traffic officers originally flagged the BMW 7 Series at around 8.30pm outside of downtown Los Angeles for allegedly weaving between traffic lanes and speeding, NBC Los Angeles reported.

After the BMW driver ignored police requests to stop, a chase along two Los Angeles freeways began. 

Officers finally managed to stop the BMW by deliberately shunting its back bumper - a technique used to disable escaping vehicles.

The manoeuvre caused the BMW to swerve to the shoulder of the road, where the driver finally stopped and surrendered at about 9.15pm. 

The driver was identified in reports as "an 18-year-old UC Irvine student from China".

He allegedly told NBC reporters after his arrest that his BMW "was a new car and he obtained his driver's license about two months ago".

Allegedly, he also said that he was "afraid of the California Highway Patrol" and "did not understand" why he had been chased. 

The identity of the student, his two passengers and the charges they face have yet to be revealed by UC Irvine or local authorities.

According to NBC's report, the student obeyed the majority of traffic lights during the chase, indicating that the charges he faces will likely be less severe than they would be otherwise.

 
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