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The injured officer has a broken collarbone, but is otherwise alright.

EXCELLENT! Thanks all for the updates!!!

Chase ends in crash; police officer injured

By Ivy Dai and Marianne Love , Staff Writers

A city police officer was badly injured when he plowed his cruiser into the shoulder of the Foothill (210) Freeway and flipped over several times while chasing a man in a stolen car at the height of Friday night rush hour.

County fire officials used the Jaws of Life to remove officer Michael Skibar from his car and airlifted him to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

The 27-year-old officer's injuries are not life threatening and included a broken collarbone and severe lacerations to his left arm, police said, adding he could be released from the hospital as early as today.

About 9:50 p.m., officers took a man hiding in the bushes near Louie Pompei Memorial Sports Park into custody, Sgt. Tim Staab said. He was identified as Mark George Vasquez, 32, of San Dimas.

He was being held on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and suspicion of felony evading and grand theft auto. Bail had not been set. Staab said the assault with a deadly weapon was from allegations he rammed two other motorists with his car.

The 5:20 p.m. crash brought commuter traffic to a halt in both directions for hours. The chase continued onto city streets before the suspect ditched the car at the 900 block of Essex Street and ran into a wooded area.

Westbound lanes reopened before 6 p.m., but eastbound lanes remained closed until nearly 7:30 p.m. as police set up a perimeter near where the man escaped.

Skibar was one of three police officers chasing a man driving a stolen black pickup truck, Glendora Lt. Rob Lamborghini said.

There were reports the man had an automatic weapon, Staab said.

The chase started at 5:09 p.m. at Glendora Avenue and Route 66. The man crashed into two cars on city streets and two more cars at the westbound 210 Freeway entrance on Lone Hill Avenue before getting on the freeway, Lamborghini said.

Skibar and the other officers followed him onto the freeway. He lost control of his vehicle and it overturned near the Sunflower Avenue exit, police said.

The suspect, wearing a white T-shirt and baggy shorts, got out of the car and took off on foot along a road at the edge of the wash south of the freeway near Louie Pompei Memorial Sports Park.

No houses were evacuated as of late Friday. Police set up a containment area, but could not find the suspect late into the night. Ten helicopters circled a square-mile area near the park, and six police agencies set up a command post at the Kohl's department store parking lot on Gladstone Street.

Police arrested a man on Loraine Avenue and Woodland Lane at about 7:30 p.m. in Glendora, but officials would not say whether he was connected to the pursuit or not.

Glendora Chief Charles Montoya and a police chaplain went to the hospital to visit Skibar, who joined the department in 2002.

"He's really nice. He's a hard worker, and I hope he will be OK,' Mayor Gary Clifford said.

Just jumping in here today,29th, to say we are having a rash of these crazies lately in Los Angeles. Hubby just told me last night that someone was carjacked at our local Trader Joe's about 3 blocks away on Colorado in Eagle Rock!! This is just TOO close to home for me!! sigh. Glad they got the guy in Glendora. That is very close to where my son and daughter live.