A vehicle pursuit that began in Seal Beach ended when the suspect’s vehicle collided with several other uninvolved vehicles, resulting in a woman’s death in Long Beach.
The Long Beach Police Department is investigating.
The following is the Seal Beach Police Department’s account, based on currently available information.
On Tuesday, March 28, at about 7:58 p.m., a Seal Beach police officer stopped a silver 2006 Lexus sedan for a traffic violation near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Marina Drive. The vehicle yielded, and the officer contacted the female driver and male passenger. While the officer was conducting a records check of the female, the male moved into the driver’s seat and accelerated away from the location of the stop.
The officer initiated a pursuit, and the suspect fled northbound on Pacific Coast Highway toward Long Beach. The suspect refused to stop, and at approximately 8:05 p.m., the suspect vehicle collided with multiple other uninvolved vehicles in the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Second Street in Long Beach.
Immediately following the collision, the male suspect fled the scene on foot. After a brief foot pursuit, the officer deployed a Taser to take the suspect into custody. The suspect sustained injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Inside the suspect’s vehicle were an adult female and an infant. The female sustained injuries and was transported to a hospital. The infant was also transported to a hospital as a precautionary measure.
During the collision, eight other vehicles were also struck. Multiple drivers and passengers were injured and transported to local hospitals for treatment. An adult female passenger in one of the cars was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Long Beach Police Department is investigating the traffic collision. The suspect was identified as Chaz Lamar Long, 39, of Antioch, California, and was remanded to the custody of the Long Beach Police Department.
It was later discovered that the suspect had an outstanding federal no-bail warrant for weapons violations.
This is an ongoing investigation. The Long Beach Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact LBPD Collision Investigation Detail Detective Joseph Johnson at (562) 570-7355. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 1-800-222-TIPS(8477), downloading the “P3 TIPS” app to your smartphone (available at the Apple App store and Google Play), or visiting www.LACrimeStoppers.org.
