RV pursuit ends in violent crash in Tarzana that injured a dog and another driver

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The pursuit of a stolen RV ended in a violent crash near Tampa Avenue and Wells Drive in Tarzana Tuesday evening.

A wild and reckless driver, later identified as Julie Ann Rainbird, 52, led authorities on a high-speed chase through the San Fernando Valley that began in the Santa Clarita area just before 7 p.m.

The Santa Clarita Sheriff's Department says a deputy ran the RV's license plates at a Towsley Canyon parking lot and came back as stolen from Simi Valley. The recreational vehicle then took off and the pursuit began. The California Highway Patrol quickly took over the chase.

At times, the suspect drove at high speeds on freeways and city streets, running red lights and driving on the wrong side of the road narrowly missing cars and crashing into others.

At one point during the chase, a dog the woman had with her in the RV managed to jump out and rolled a few times before getting up and running away. Another dog then came to sit at the front of a badly damaged RV with the driver as the chase continued.

The pursuit ended when the suspect drove into a residential neighborhood in Tarzana and was unable to navigate a curve on the road resulting in the RV violently crashing into another car that was pulling into a driveway and injuring that driver before crashing into a tree.

The female suspect exited the RV and took off on foot after the crash. Her second dog, appearing injured, followed her as she attempted to get away from officers.

The suspect was quickly taken into custody. Animal Control was called to check on the injured dog while paramedics arrived to check on the suspect and the male driver that had been injured as he pulled into a driveway. Their condition is unknown.

THE DOGS

As of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, the first dog that jumped out of the moving RV was captured by animal control, according to the California Highway Patrol. It's unclear where that dog was located but CHP said it suffered minor injuries.

The second dog that stayed until the end of the pursuit was taken to a private veterinary hospital to get emergency treatment, according to the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services.

Animal Services said once they get a better evaluation of the dog, they will talk with a shelter veterinarian to determine where the dog will receive treatment. It's unclear what type of injuries the dog suffered.

No additional information was immediately released by authorities. The investigation is ongoing.