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Los Angeles Van Chase Passes Right By USC

Calum Hayes |
April 30, 2013 | 4:50 p.m. PDT

Columnist

The van chase took place right by USC. (888bailbond, Creative Commons)
The van chase took place right by USC. (888bailbond, Creative Commons)
It was 1:36 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30. You would have found me standing at the Bank of America ATM on the corner of Jefferson and Mcclintock, just across from the University of Southern California's (USC) campus. Imagine my surprise as a white cargo van went flying past behind me trailed by not one, not two, not three, etc., but by 15 police cars. My immediate reaction was that of any self-respecting male: to text my mother and ask what was happening.

It turns out that the driver of the (stolen) van had driven both direction on the 110 freeway, exited onto a side street and promptly sideswiped an LAPD cruiser and an SUV in an intersection. The driver then reversed away from the accident and proceeded to get back onto the freeway, ending up westbound on the 10. At this time, the driver nearly sideswiped a school bus.

These were the events leading up to my rather shocking viewing of what I am choosing to call OJ 2.0. Shortly after the driver went past my location, he exited the van, slipped on a wet patch of concrete (I’m willing to bet OJ would have kept his footing) and then was taken down by some 20 police officers. (See photos of the chase and the arrest here.)

I give you such a comprehensive review of the events because if you are a student at USC, a school that endlessly touts its emergency response text message system, you were never warned of any of this. It has been hours since the event occurred, and still no text message. No warning to stay away from that section of campus, no direction to not enter those crosswalks, no helpful message telling us of the conclusion of the chase. This is a school that sends out text messages for things happening six blocks away, and yet not for something that happened on a street adjacent to campus.

I appreciate the efforts this school makes to keep us as students safe. I would just appreciate a little less of a focus on keeping me from re-entering the school through the exit I walked out 45 seconds before just because it is now 9:31 p.m. and apparently the security guards eyes aren’t a substitute for my student ID card, and a little more of a focus on letting me know about the half of LAPD's mobile police force speeding my way at 1:36 on a Tuesday afternoon.

 

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