Last Updated on January 10, 2023 by CCAR Staff
LOMA LINDA >> When a Loma Linda man saw somebody stealing his car early Thursday morning, he and his girlfriend jumped into a second car and gave chase until both vehicles collided near the Redlands border, leaving the alleged thief dead.
Jose Medina-Razo, 19, of Fontana heard someone start up his car — a white 1994 Acura Integra — around 2:30 a.m., according to a San Bernardino County sheriff’s statement.
When he noticed someone drive away in his vehicle, officials say Medina-Razo and his girlfriend got into a Honda Pilot and chased their own car north on Mountain View Avenue from the 11000 block of Van Uffelen Drive.
• Video: At the scene of Redlands-Loma Linda stolen-car crash
As they approached the 10 Freeway, the cars collided, sending the Integra through a fence and up into the freeway wall. The thief was ejected from the stolen vehicle and killed, said Sgt. Phill Dupper.
The Integra had rear-end damage.
“They did stop just beyond the freeway and were interviewed by investigators,” he said. Following the initial interview, the couple was released, Dupper said.
Black skid marks could be seen on Mountain View Avenue right before the freeway onramp.
“It’s crazy to hear that something like this happened close by,” said Kimberly Winans, an employee of a Circle K gas station near the crash scene.
Winans said her co-workers, Robert Mendoza and Chidi Nkwocha, heard the crash and ran outside.
Mendoza called 911 as Nkwocha ran to the injured man tossed from the Integra, she said.
“He told me he was talking to him, but the man wasn’t saying anything back, just blinking,” said Abbey Hernendez, manager of the convenience store and gas station. “It really affected him. He said it was terrible.”
The driver was only identified as a 25-year-old Fontana man.
The crash shut down Mountain View Avenue at the 10 Freeway, according to a Twitter post from San Bernardino County sheriff’s Capt. Stephen Dorsey.
It’s unclear if Medina-Razo or his girlfriend could face any charges in connection to the investigation.
The crash is under investigation by the sheriff’s Major Accident Investigation Team. Anyone with information is asked to call 909-477-2800.
