While the average police chase pits cop cars against sensible sedans and pickup trucks no better suited for high-speed driving than a skateboard, that’s not always the case. CHP recently pursued an Aston Martin Vantage on the streets of East Los Angeles. However, once the cops got the GT car’s driver into custody, he suffered a medical emergency and died.  

A bizarre East Los Angeles police chase ended after an Aston Martin crash and a medical emergency in custody

Let’s face it, you don’t often see an Aston Martin in a police chase. It’s just not one of those frequent pursuit culprits. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers started pursuing a gray Aston Martin Vantage at the intersection of Indiana Street and Gleason Avenue at 3:14 a.m.

Police say the Vantage was driving at “a very high rate of speed.” No surprise there. Before the model’s refresh, the Aston Martin Vantage summoned as much as 690 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 5.2L V12. Even the smaller engine, a twin-turbo 4.0L V8, produced up to 528 horsepower. That’s a whole lot more thrust than CHP’s Dodge Chargers and Ford Police Interceptor SUVs.

What an Aston Martin Vantage can’t do, however, is drive itself. Just a few minutes after police officers initiated the chase, the driver slammed the Vantage into a light pole at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Soto Street, per ABC 7. However, the driver wasn’t done trying to get away from the cops.

He reportedly fled on foot before officers took him into custody. Typically, that would be the end. However, after a “small amount of force” was used to put the Aston Martin’s driver in handcuffs, the man had a medical emergency. First responders tried to save the man, but he died at the scene.  

Check out the video of the aftermath below!