The police chase that killed an innocent woman began as an arson investigation in Fountain Valley, police announced Tuesday.
The pursuit lasted only a minute and the driver, identified as 43-year-old Timothy Bradford Cole, was traveling 90 mph in a Dodge Ram truck, Fountain Valley police said.
Cole ran a red light at Magnolia and Ellis and crashed into a BMW SVU, killing 25-year-old Hong Nguyen Nguyen, who was inside the car.
Before the fatal accident, Cole had poured lighter fluid on the front lawn of his future brother-in-law’s home in Fountain Valley and set it on fire.
“I saw someone I knew to be my future brother-in-law set the house on fire,” homeowner Shane Schmidt said, adding he didn’t know what caused Cole to start the fire. .
Neighbors were able to quickly put out the fire.
About two and a half hours after the arson was reported, officers spotted Cole getting into his truck near Brookhurst. When police attempted to stop him, Cole allegedly took off and led police on a pursuit that ended in tragedy.
“In this case, the officers were barely in pursuit,” said Sgt. Henry Hsu of the Fountain Valley Police Department said. “Time was short and the suspect was able to achieve incredible speed on his own, but unfortunately it ended in such a fatal accident.”
Cole and three others in the BMW were taken to the hospital, including Nguyen, who was later pronounced dead.
“It’s really frustrating and disgusting,” Schmidt said. “There is no reason for it to escalate to something so reckless. Knowing that someone’s little girl is not coming home is unbearable.”
Cole was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
If released, the suspect is expected to be charged with multiple felonies.
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