Police chase stolen hazardous waste truck in California

  • 14/09/2016
The stolen big rig (NBC LA/Twitter)
The stolen big rig (NBC LA/Twitter)

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers have arrested a man after chasing a stolen big rig that may contain low-grade hazardous materials, in a dramatic freeway pursuit.

The chase began after a sheriff's deputy identified the stolen truck, and tried to stop it. However, the driver took off - leading CHP officers on a wild chase across Californian highways.

The driver reportedly told officers on the phone that he didn't want to pull over because he didn't want to "go back to jail," according to the CHP.

The truck is believed to belong to ACTenviro, a hazardous waste management firm, who have released a notice on their website: "IMPORTANT BULLETIN: One of our trucks was stolen last night in Southern California. We have tracked it and law enforcement is in pursuit. We have been working with all relevant authorities and will continue to do so. We will provide more information as it becomes available."

The truck was being tracked by a convoy of cars and a spotter plane.

Newshub.