A driver in an allegedly stolen car made an almost unbelievable pit stop during a high-speed police pursuit, pulling in for gas before slipping away again, according to resurfaced video of the chase.
Los Angeles police launched the pursuit shortly before 10 p.m. on August 22, 2025, after a dark blue Infiniti 250 sedan was reported stolen in the city’s Wilshire area, KABC reported.
Authorities said the driver hit speeds of up to 100 mph while driving dangerously, darting between vehicles and using the shoulder as the chase unfolded across Los Angeles County.
At one stage, both officers on the ground and a police helicopter backed away from the pursuit, though a local television news chopper kept tracking the sedan from above.
The aerial footage showed the suspect steering into a Shell station at Imperial Highway and Long Beach Boulevard in Lynwood, where other customers appeared to be calmly filling their vehicles, seemingly unaware of the drama unfolding around them.
As he pumped fuel, the driver appeared to glance toward the news helicopter camera, pacing anxiously around the Infiniti and shielding his face from view.
Once the quick refuel was complete, he jumped back into the car and took off again, prompting officers from the City of Bell Police Department to pick up the pursuit.
The chase stretched across multiple major routes, including the 105, 110, 710 and 10 freeways, while also spilling onto surface streets in several communities along the way.
The driver of an allegedly stolen vehicle managed to stop for gas while leading cops on a high-speed chase before making a grand escape
He appeared to look directly at the news camera as he nervously paced around the car and covered his face while pumping gas
The chase ended when the driver ditched the car under the 10 Freeway overpass at Alameda Street near the Fashion District.
Police believe he ran away on foot, and the stolen car was found rolled into a light pole.
It is unclear if the driver was ever caught. The Daily Mail contacted the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for more information.
The LAPD faced fresh scrutiny for the failed chase after failed mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt posted a clip of it on X on Tuesday.
‘Wow. Communists in city hall have neutered law enforcement so badly that this car thief can stop for gas, mid-pursuit, fill up, and drive off, undisturbed,’ Pratt wrote.
‘Dude could’ve dropped in the mini mart and gotten a Slurpee, too. LA is full on GTA. Don’t let communists run your city!’
Others joined Pratt in criticizing police and city officials for allowing the suspect to get away.
‘You know your city is full-blown communism when criminals are not punished, but political opponents are. Keep up “THE GOOD FIGHT,” Spencer; one day it will all get better,’ one person wrote.
At one point, cops on the ground and the police helicopter pulled off from the chase, but the local news station’s helicopter continued to follow the vehicle
The driver sped off from the gas station and police believe he managed to escape on foot after he ditched the vehicle under and overpass
‘This is a total joke!! Incompetence and given in to lawlessness! What will befall this city in the coming years will decimate all civility!’ wrote another.
‘Absolutely insane! This is full-blown anarchy! Nobody respects or follows the law. We need solid leaders to right the ship asap- LA needs a man like Spencer Pratt!’ added a third.
Although Pratt lost the primary in June, he pledged to go to ‘war’ with remaining candidates, incumbent mayor Karen Bass and progressive Nithya Raman, as he framed his loss as the result of ‘the machine protecting the machine.’
Pratt, who once appeared on the reality television show The Hills, shook up the race, turning it into a vengeance campaign against Bass after losing his $3 million home in last year’s Palisades fire.
He also campaigned on the rise of crime, homelessness and drug use in the city.
