Fullerton Police Officers’ Pursuit of Drug Suspects Ends in Minor Crash

A foiled narcotics deal in Fullerton on Tuesday spurred a pursuit that crossed into Los Angeles County and ended when the suspects’ car collided with another vehicle in Cerritos, police said.

Officers approached a man and woman they believed were conducting a prearranged methamphetamine sale just before 5 p.m. at Euclid Street and Orangethorpe Avenue, Fullerton Police Lt. Danny Becerra said. The suspects fled in a Ford Thunderbird on the Artesia Freeway and refused to pull over, he said, eventually leading police onto the San Gabriel River Freeway.

Exiting the offramp at Del Amo Boulevard, the suspects’ car hit another vehicle, and California Highway Patrol officers responded, Becerra said.

The suspects--Jeffrey Dorsten, 37, and Jaime Nickell, 21, both of Anaheim--were arrested and taken to the Fullerton City Jail, where both were being held on suspicion of felony evasion. Dorsten also was booked on suspicion of conspiracy to sell methamphetamine and resisting arrest, Becerra said.

The driver and passenger in the second car were taken to Lakewood Regional Medical Center, where they were treated for minor injuries, authorities said.