A 41-year-old woman who rammed a police cruiser and led authorities on a high-speed chase earlier this month that ended with a head-on collision on the 405 Freeway could face more than 20 years in state prison, officials announced Wednesday.
The May 17 incident began at around 4:30 a.m. after officers with the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a disturbance call and were intentionally rammed by a woman driving a van.
The suspect, now identified as Lisa Ann Heflin, immediately fled the scene prompting police to initiate an assault with a deadly weapon pursuit at 4:49 a.m.
Aerial footage of the scene captured by Sky5 showed the 41-year-old attempting to ram several other patrol vehicles and then leaning out the window and yelling at officers. At one point, Heflin turned the van around and chased a patrol vehicle down a street to crash into it.
Police attempted several pit maneuvers on the northbound 405 Freeway but were unsuccessful.
Heflin then began driving in the wrong direction on the freeway and crashed head-on into another vehicle. She continued and drove at full speed into a big rig and another vehicle stopped on the freeway.
The collision, which occurred near Sunset Boulevard in the Brentwood area, left at least one vehicle badly damaged and caused the van to finally become disabled.
Her face covered in blood, Heflin exited the van, climbed on top of a big rig and sat on the hood until being taken into custody by officers.
Five police vehicles, two civilian vehicles and a tractor-trailer were damaged during the chase.
“I am grateful that the civilians and law enforcement officers involved in this reckless incident were not seriously harmed,” L.A. County District Attorney Gascón said in a news release announcing charges against Heflin. “Reckless driving and endangering the lives of others is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our community.
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Heflin is charged with 10 counts of assault upon a peace officer; four counts of assault with a deadly weapon; one count of fleeing a pursuing peace officer’s motor vehicle while driving recklessly; and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in property damage.
At an arraignment hearing on Wednesday, she pleaded not guilty to all charges. Her bail was set at $695,000.
If convicted as charged, Heflin could serve 22 years and eight months in prison.
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