Officers pulled the man over in the early hours of the morning after seeing him asleep at the wheel stopped at a red light
- Police pulled over 51-year-old Elliott Dugan in what they say was a stolen Lamborghini.
- Once they notified Dugan of the car’s status he drove away from the stop at high speed.
- Moments later he crashed into the median and ultimately died at the scene.
It’s never a good idea to run from the police, as one driver tragically learned when officers from the West Valley Patrol division pulled up next to a gray 2019 Lamborghini Huracan at around 5 a.m. on April 6th.
As they approached, they noticed the driver asleep behind the wheel. When they decided to pull him over, they likely didn’t expect that shortly afterward, the driver would be dead and the Lamborghini reduced to a mangled heap of parts strewn across the road.
More: Was This Cop Right To Block ATV Rider Leading To Serious Crash?
Video released by the LAPD shows that about 15 seconds pass after the light turns green before the Lamborghini driver begins to pull away. Officers immediately sound their sirens and initiate a traffic stop. The driver pulls over, and the police approach the vehicle. They explain that they saw the driver sleeping and obtain his license. He claims the vehicle is a rental, and one of the officers retreats to the patrol car.
At the patrol car, the officer learns that the driver, Elliott Dugan, has several warrants for his arrest and that the Lamborghini is reportedly stolen. He returns to the Huracan and tries to get Mr. Dugan to exit the vehicle. After multiple attempts to get him to comply willingly, the officer informs the driver that the vehicle is showing up in the system as stolen. That’s when Dugan takes off, and the officers rush back to their vehicle to begin a pursuit.
It doesn’t take very long though as Dugan crashes at what police believe to be somewhere around 113 mph (181 km/h). The Lamborghini ends up in so many pieces that it’s completely unrecognizable. Dugan was thrown several hundred feet away and was pronounced dead at the scene.
“As part of the investigatory process, a pursuit investigation was also initiated,” said LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz. “This pursuit investigation will be reviewed by the department upon completion for adherence to the law and department policy. In the next several months the LAPD will continue to investigate and analyze this incident. We will continue interviewing any new witnesses who may come forward and complete any forensic tests.”
Nobody else was hurt in the accident though some property damage did occur to other cars in the area of the crash.