Man Arrested for Crashing Stolen Vehicle, Fleeing Vehicle with Dying Passenger Inside

HIGHLAND, Calif. – A female passenger was killed when the driver of a stolen vehicle fled from police on Friday morning.

At around 6:36 a.m., a deputy attempted to stop a stolen BMW sedan. The vehicle was occupied by two, Timothy Johnston, 25, of San Bernardino, and a female passenger. Johnston drove away at a high rate of speed and headed northbound on Palm Avenue from 3rd Street. He continued driving north on Palm into the City of Highland. 

For reasons that remain under investigation, Johnston lost control of the vehicle near the intersection of Palm and Nona Avenues. He sideswiped a Toyota Tundra sending the BMW into a powerline pole. The vehicle overturned coming to a rest on its roof. He exited the vehicle and ran from the vehicle and hid in a nearby neighborhood. He was quickly located and arrested without incident.

Johnston was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the collision. When medically treated and cleared he will be booked into jail for charges related to the collision and an unrelated no-bail warrant for vehicle theft. The woman in the stolen BMW was transported to the hospital but died as a result of the collision. Her name is not being released at this time so that her family could first be notified. The two occupants in the Toyota Tundra were not injured as a result of the collision. 

Anyone who witnessed or has information about this incident is urged to contact the investigating deputies below. 

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