Crime & Safety
UPDATED: CHP Chase Ends in Rolling Hills Estates
A California Highway Patrol pursuit ends with a crash in Rolling Hills Estates.
A Los Angeles Unified School District teacher being investigated for alleged lewd conduct with a child led police Tuesday on a chase that ended in Rolling Hills Estates after the man sped over an embankment and crashed into a wall, the Daily Breeze reported.
Kip Arnold, a physical education teacher at Southeast Middle School, was later freed from his vehicle and hospitalized, according to the Breeze report.
"Earlier in the week we received information that an LAUSD teacher committed some lewd acts with a child," said Lt. Ty Henshaw of the Bell Police Department.
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Bell police had Arnold's residence in Lakewood under surveillance and were about arrest him early Tuesday when Arnold walked out of his home.
"We tried to stop him when he came out. He did stop and he said, 'Hey, I know why you're here. I'm going to commit suicide,'" Henshaw said.
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Arnold then got in his vehicle, rolled up the window and drove away.
California Highway Patrol officers joined the pursuit, which started in Lakewood, about 12:50 p.m. on the southbound San Diego (405) Freeway. The chase then went onto the Pacific Coast Highway, where Arnold went west through Torrance.
About 1:15 p.m. near Western Avenue, a patrol car spun out the black pickup truck, which became wedged into the side of a stopped big rig for a few minutes, but Arnold sped away again. He drove south on Crenshaw Boulevard and, near Indian Peak Road, suddenly drove off the road.
After swerving off the roadway, Arnold's pickup truck went airborne, flipped and landed near the office building, the Breeze reported. Arnold was alive and talking when authorities reached his truck, Henshaw said.
Arnold has worked for LAUSD for eight years, previously teaching at Nimitz Middle School, Gage Middle School and Orchard Academies 2B, according to the district.
—City News Service contributed to this report.
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