Stolen van bursts into flames, killing driver trapped inside, California police say

A stolen van being followed by Oakland police crashed and burst into flames, killing the driver, California authorities said.

At 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, March 2, police investigating a report of a stolen vehicle found a person inside a stolen van, an Oakland Police Department news release said.

Officers deployed spike strips but the driver sped off in the van, followed by a police helicopter, the release said. The helicopter saw sparks coming from the flattened tires.

The utility van then smashed into the fence of a home, Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong told KPIX.

“Once those tires caught fire, the entire van was engulfed in flames,” Armstrong said in a news briefing. “The individual inside the van was unable to extract himself from the van.”

Officers tried to free the man from the van, but they were driven back by the flames, the release said. The driver died and two officers were treated for burns and other injuries.

Authorities have not released the name of the driver.