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A missing 13-year-old boy with autism and impaired hearing at the wheel of a utility truck led police on a pursuit through North Hollywood, crashing into several other cars and an apartment building before being detained by police on Saturday afternoon.

A teenage boy is taken into custody after leading authorities on a pursuit through North Hollywood on Aug. 17, 2019. (Credit: Loudlabs)
A teenage boy is taken into custody after leading authorities on a pursuit through North Hollywood on Aug. 17, 2019. (Credit: Loudlabs)

The pursuit began about 3 p.m. when police spotted a truck that had been reported stolen driving in the area of Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Victory Boulevard, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Mike Lopez said.

The driver, who police did not initially realize was a child, drove erratically, officials said. The truck struck a white car broadside along Sherman Avenue, sending at least one person to a hospital, and continued driving.

A car was struck by an SUV that was fleeing from police in North Hollwyood on Aug. 17, 2019. The driver was later determined to be a 13-year-old boy with special needs who had been reported missing. (Credit: Loudlabs)
A car was struck by a truck that was fleeing from police in North Hollwyood on Aug. 17, 2019. The driver was later determined to be a 13-year-old boy with special needs who had been reported missing. (Credit: Loudlabs)

Police said the truck struck several more vehicles before it hit an apartment building along Troost Avenue, just north of Sherman Way. The young driver got out of the car and ran into an apartment complex before officers caught up with him and detained him.

It was soon realized that the 13-year-old driver was the same boy who had recently been reported missing by his family. The child has autism and wears a cochlear implant to aid in hearing.

It was not immediately clear where the boy got a hold of the truck, or whether he would face charges.

No serious injuries resulted from the incident, LAPD Capt. McNeill Gardner told KTLA.

KTLA’s Alexandria Hernandez contributed to this report.