Crime & Safety

Motivations Behind Sunday's Wrong-Way Crash Still a Mystery

Philip Davis, 23, has been arrested on suspicion of DUI and failing to yield to CHP officers.

Why did Philip Davis, 23, allegedly lead California Highway Patrol officers on a high-speed chase early Sunday morning, looping around the 101 and 405 interchanges and ultimately pulling a U-turn whic ended in a head-on collision?

“We really don’t know why,” said CHP spokesman Leland Tang.

What they do know is that Davis has been arrested under the suspicion of driving under the influence and failing to yield law enforcement’s pursuit, Tang said.

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Blood was taken from him and is now with the Los Angeles Police Department crime lab for analysis, Tang said.

Davis sustained moderate injuries and was transferred to UCLA Regan Medical Center.

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Pursued by CHP squad cars and an Los Angeles Police Department helicopter above, Davis allegedly weaved through traffic on the 101 eastbound at up to 100 mph, exited the freeway and got back on going westbound, then transferred to the southbound 405, according to the CHP.

When the car pulled a U-turn and started driving north, the CHP officers on the ground immediately abandoned the chase, Tang said, as is policy.

“When that happens for us, we terminate, we avoid the area at all costs,” he said.

Three minutes later, the SUV ended up colliding with another SUV  in the carpool lane near Victory Boulevard, Tang said. The three occupants received moderate injuries.

Cecilia Bercerra, 28, was sitting in the front right seat and received “the brunt of it,” Tang said. Driver Daniel Aguilar, 30, had a broken wrist. Meanwhile, 2-month-old Romina Aguilar was secured in a carseat and only experienced some scratches, Tang said.

He added that driving in the fast lane or carpool lane at night can be a dangerous spot when confronted with wrong-way drivers, who think they’re in the slow lane.

“By the time you see the headlights, it’s too late to react,” he said.


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