Standoff, Closure Follows 5 Freeway Crash In LA County

PYRAMID LAKE, CA — A female suspect was taken into custody Thursday following a standoff on the Golden State (5) Freeway that contributed to a full closure of southbound lanes and caused a massive traffic backup.

Officers took the woman into custody at around 2:50 p.m., nearly an hour after a multi-vehicle collision on the southbound freeway at Smokey Bear Road near Pyramid Lake, according to the California Highway Patrol.

According to reports from the scene, a witness saw a motorist driving erratically on the southbound freeway, then veer off the road and then re-enter the freeway, sideswiping a big rig and colliding with another vehicle.

Following the crash, the woman refused to exit her SUV, and even covered the vehicle's windows to prevent officers from looking inside.

CHP officers eventually moved in and physically removed the woman from the vehicle. One officers suffered a head laceration during the altercation.

After the woman was taken into custody, two lanes of the freeway were reopened, but a lengthy traffic backup remained. CHP Southern Division spokeswoman Officer Marissa McIntire told City News Service the investigation was continuing as of 4 p.m.

It was unclear how many other people may have been injured in the initial crash, but at least four ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

City News Service