Orange County pursuit ends in head-on crash in Placentia

Pursuit suspect crashes head-on with police SUV

Two people, including an officer, were hospitalized following a pursuit crash in Orange County.

PLACENTIA, Calif. - A police officer and a pursuit suspect were hospitalized after a violent head-on collision in a residential neighborhood in Placentia late Sunday night, authorities said.

The pursuit was initiated in La Habra around 11 p.m. Sunday when officers located a suspected stolen vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, according to the Placentia Police Department.

Authorities said the suspect led La Habra police officers on a high-speed pursuit on Kraemer Boulevard through Fullerton and into Placentia.

The pursuit came to an end when the driver of the suspected stolen black SUV slammed into a Placentia Police vehicle near Madison Avenue where he was taken to a local trauma center for treatment. The officer in the Ford Explorer was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center for his injuries, said police.

Kraemer Blvd. and Madison Ave. remained closed for the investigation. Investigators on the scene said both parties suffered non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to recover.