FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) UPDATE — A medical transport van stolen in Fresno ended in a crash after a high-speed multi-county chase.
It began when a Fresno Police officer, responding to a separate call, was flagged down by a witness reporting the theft.
The van had been left at a home with the keys inside, when someone jumped in and drove off.
Officers pursued the van northbound on Highway 41 but soon lost track of it.
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Air One, the Fresno Police helicopter, found the van and tracked it into Madera County near the Yosemite Springs Parkway turnoff.
There, the driver entered a hotel, made a U-turn, and returned southbound on Highway 41.
CHP officers and Fresno Police CA Team undercover vehicles joined the pursuit, but the driver refused to stop, driving recklessly and passing on both sides of the road.
Officers attempted to use spike strips multiple times, successfully puncturing a tire during the final attempt.
The chase ended when the van crashed at the intersection of 1st Street and McKinley Avenue in Fresno.
Invesitgators say the driver continued to resist, causing officers to use less-lethal rounds and a canine unit to safely take the driver into custody.
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An investigation is ongoing.