A man who led police on a car chase through the San Gabriel Valley that ended in a violent crash in Covina was recovering Tuesday in the hospital, along with the driver he hit.

Both were undergoing tests and treatment for broken bones and internal injuries, according to officials with the Pasadena Police Department. The suspect was under police guard Tuesday morning, the officials said.

The man who led the chase was identified as Edgar Angorita, 45, of Hollywood, said Lt. Rodney D. Wallace. The other driver was a 21-year-old woman, whose name has not been released.

Wallace said Angorita, driving a Volkswagen sedan, broadsided the woman’s Mazda on the driver’s side around 11:45 p.m. at Barranca Avenue and East Puente Street in Covina about half a mile north of Interstate 10.

The chase started about 10:30 p.m. in Old Town Pasadena as police tried to stop the man on a minor traffic violation.
Wallace said the chase happened on surface streets and got up to speeds of 35 to 40 mph, eventually continuing onto the freeway at speeds that never surpassed 75 mph.

At one point, Angorita stopped his car when only one officer was following him. But he continued driving as the officer waited for backup, and the accident occurred shortly afterward, Wallace said.

Authorities said the 45-minute chase stretched through the cities of Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Azusa, Covina, Glendora and West Covina.

Wallace said there is evidence Angorita was under the influence of drugs and alcohol.