Police: Woman leads officers on half-hour chase, lights cigarette after crashing into pole

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles police say a woman led officers on a wild chase in a suspected stolen car that lasted a half-hour and ended when she crashed into a pole.

Officials say at one point during the pursuit early Thursday the suspect stopped the sedan suddenly and then backed up and rammed a patrol car. One officer was hospitalized in unknown condition.

As she led officers through suburban Van Nuys, the woman gestured out the window to bystanders in the streets.

At the end of the chase, she lit a cigarette, stuck her head out of the car's sunroof and ignored officers' commands.

The suspect was dragged from the vehicle and taken into custody.

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