A 25-year-old woman is dead and two others are in hospital after a man fleeing Fountain Valley police in a pickup truck crashed into their car Monday evening, authorities said.
Police arrested Huntington Beach resident Timothy Bradford Cole, 43, after his Dodge Ram crashed into a white BMW at the intersection of Ellis Avenue and Magnolia Street just after 10 p.m., according to Fountain Valley police.
Cole was speeding and ran a red light when he collided with a southbound BMW, police said.
The three people inside the BMW were taken to a local trauma center, but one of them, a 25-year-old woman, died on the way. His name has not been released pending notification of his next of kin. Two other injured people are listed in critical and stable condition, respectively.
Fountain Valley Sgt. Henry Hsu said the two passengers are also in their 20s.
Cole was taken to a trauma center in Long Beach and is listed in serious condition with non-life threatening injuries. He will be booked once he is released from the hospital, said Hsu.
Cole was wanted in connection with a domestic dispute and a recent arson, according to police.
Police suspect Cole set fire to a forest near a home in Fountain Valley’s Arches Court neighborhood after dousing it with lighter fluid. The fire spread to the house but was extinguished by residents when the police arrived.
Cole was not at the scene, but police say they spotted his truck about a mile away in a parking lot on Brookhurst Street and began patrolling.
Around 10 p.m., police say they watched Cole get into the truck and start driving.
Hsu said that while he did not know the details of a particular surveillance effort, he said that Fountain Valley police tactics often include remote monitoring.
“Normally we don’t sit next to a car,” said Hsu. “We use binoculars on the target vehicle.”
Cole quickly ran away when he saw the cars closing in, authorities said. Less than a minute later, Cole’s truck was involved in a fatal accident.
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