Maria Salazar reportedly sustained broken ribs and some other injuries in the Thursday afternoon crash at Vermont Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard

Torrance Crash
Woman Hit by Car During Harbor City Police Chase Hospitalized

, Calif. – 66-year-old Maria Salazar was hospitalized after she was hit by a car that was rear-ended by a Torrance Police Department patrol vehicle Thursday afternoon near an intersection in the city.

Salazar's family said she is suffering from five broken ribs, swollen lungs, several cuts and bruises to her face, and difficulty breathing.

Salazar was struck by a car being pursued by police in connection to reports of two carjackings and a stolen vehicle.

According to Torrance police, at around 12:50 p.m., they were notified by the County Sheriff's Department that their deputies were chasing a carjacking suspect who had stolen several cars and they believed the suspect had entered the city of Torrance.

Around 12:51 p.m., Torrance police learned that the suspect in the chase had entered a parking lot at the Del Amo Fashion Center. Minutes later, at about 12:55 p.m., a female adult victim reported a carjacking near the spot where the pursuit suspect was last seen.

At around the same time, Torrance police officers in a marked patrol car located a male suspect driving the carjacked vehicle (a silver Toyota Prius), exiting the Del Amo Fashion Center.

The driver of the Prius failed to yield to the officers and sped away, prompting a chase.

During the chase, the vehicle being pursued was rear-ended by a police cruiser in the area of Vermont Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard, causing it to spin and hit Salazar, who was walking in a crosswalk carrying grocery bags in her hand.

In a press release, Torrance police said no serious injuries were reported, and the victim refused treatment at the scene by medical personnel and left for home.

The suspect was arrested at the scene and handed over to the LACSD, who initiated the pursuit.

However, Salazar's family said she later went to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center on her own and spent the night at the hospital. The family said she sustained five broken ribs, swollen lungs, several cuts and bruises to her face, and experienced difficulty breathing.

The family notified the police department about the hospitalization.

TPD is investigating the two carjackings that led to the pursuits and eventually the crash.

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