Police ID Man Who Led Officers on Chase Through East Valley Area

The Los Angeles Police Department has identified the man who led officers on a  chase through parts of the San Fernando Valley, including North Hollywood, on Monday.

The chase came to an end in Burbank when the driver's American Solar Direct work van struck two cars.

The man was identified as Albert Stokes, 52, of Paramount, according to the Burbank Leader, which reported that he was arrested on suspicion of felony evading.

American Solar Direct spokesman Denis Wolcott said in a statement that the company was “shocked by this driver’s actions,” according to the Leader.

The chase began around 4:10 p.m. near Whiteman Airport in Pacoima and went through North Hollywood and into Burbank, where the driver slammed into the rear of a sedan before rolling to a stop and surrendering to pursuing officers.

Los Angeles police spotted the van weaving and being driven erratically, which is what prompted officers to try and pull it over, according to Officer Cleon Joseph of the department's Media Relations Section.

The van was driven at relatively normal speeds during the pursuit as it continued along city streets.

The driver, however, apparently ran over a police spike strip that flattened the front passenger tire. The tire peeled off from the vehicle, but the suspect continued driving on the rim, with sparks occasionally shooting from the wheel.

Police said the driver ran a red light, took a side mirror off another car and eventually smashed into the back of a car on Buena Vista Street near Verdugo Road in Burbank. The van rolled to a stop, and the driver got out of the vehicle a a short time later and surrendered.