(L.A.) Matyes Getachew, 26, Died on the 210 Fwy

, , , , , 3

Case Number: 2025-07334

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 26-year-old Black male that occurred on the 210 Freeway.

The coroner’s office has identified the man as Matyes Getachew of Kent, Washington state.

Manner of Death: Accident

Cause of Death: Traumatic Injuries

RIP MATYES WORKU GETACHEW (January 1, 1999 – May 2, 2025)

Formal pronouncement of death was made on Friday at 11:18 a.m.

The decedent’s name is Ethiopian, but he apparently was born in South Africa.

Getachew was in a high-speed police pursuit that ended in a deadly crash on the 210 Freeway.

The pursuit began at around 10 a.m. when he fled a Target store in Camarillo, after allegedly stealing more than $950 in merchandise, which is considered grand theft. Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to make a traffic stop, but the suspect sped away, initiating the chase.

The suspect, driving a black Honda SUV, traveled southbound on the 101 Freeway through Camarillo, then continued into Thousand Oaks before entering the 118 Freeway eastbound through Simi Valley. T

California Highway Patrol joined the pursuit at 10:50 a.m. while the chase was eastbound on the 118 Freeway at Balboa Boulevard. The suspect reached speeds of over 110 mph, weaving in and out of lanes. At one point, the SUV was clocked at 118 mph.

By 11 a.m., the suspect was on the 210 Freeway in the Tujunga area. Moments later, the left side of the suspect’s vehicle collided with the rear right corner of an orange dump truck near the Ocean View onramp in the Pasadena area. The impact ripped apart the side of the SUV.

CHP performed CPR on the driver, but he was soon pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the dump truck was not injured

Getachew was arrested in Stanislaus County on December 27, 2024, on charges of theft and burglary.