Man flees from traffic stop, killing Metro worker in fiery crash

A Metro facilities maintenance worker driving a van was killed Monday morning by a man who took off from a police traffic stop in Hollywood, crashed into the Metro vehicle and later died at a hospital, authorities said.

The crash happened at Hollywood Boulevard and Gower Street at 1:59 a.m., said a desk officer at the Los Angeles Police Department's West Traffic Division.

A patrol unit had pulled over a car for a traffic stop and the officer was walking back to the patrol vehicle to verify the driver's information when the driver took off and crashed into the Metro van, the desk officer said.

The van burst into flames, killing its driver, who was the sole occupant, the officer said.

The van was used for Metro facilities maintenance and was believed driven by a man, said Metro spokeswoman Anna Chen.

The driver of the car, believed about 20 years old, was taken to a hospital in critical condition and was later pronounced dead, said the Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott.

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