High-Speed Chase Ends as Stolen Tesla Runs Out of Juice [Los Angeles, CA]

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 31, 2024) — A high-speed pursuit through the streets of Hollywood ended in an unexpected twist late Thursday night when a stolen Tesla came to a stop, not due to police intervention, but because its battery had depleted. 

 

The chase, which wove through Koreatown into Hollywood and onto the 101 Freeway, began after the electric vehicle, identified as a Tesla Model S, was reported stolen near Western Avenue and 8th Street at approximately 11:35 p.m.

 

The vehicle’s owner, monitoring the battery level, informed the Los Angeles Police Department that the Tesla was down to its last 1% of battery life. This crucial piece of information anticipated the chase’s conclusion, with the Tesla eventually halting in the 4600 block of Melrose Avenue — battery entirely drained.

 

The suspect was promptly arrested after the Tesla ran out of battery. Details from the Los Angeles Police Department were scant as of Friday morning, but the incident highlights a unique aspect of pursuing electric vehicles: the inevitable limitation of battery life.