Alleged copper thief hit by car while crossing freeway in Tustin

Suspected copper thief run over in Tustin

A man suspected of stealing copper wiring from a building in Tustin was killed after he was hit by car running across a freeway to avoid police.

TUSTIN, Calif. - A man was killed Monday after he was hit by a car while crossing a Tustin freeway, after police said they caught him in the act stealing copper from a nearby building.

It happened just before 11:30 a.m. Monday, according to the Tustin Police Department. Officers said they were called out to the area of W. First Street and Yorba Street. A caller told police that a person was stealing copper from a building.

When police got there, they found the man, who then ran. The man then ran onto California Route 55, where he was hit and killed by a car near the intersection of the 55 and 4th Street.

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No other information about the suspect or the crash was immediately available.

All northbound lanes of the 55 were briefly closed Monday morning while police investigated.

Tustin Crime and Public Safety Unusual