- Man rented an Aston Martin Vantage on Turo and extended the rental period.
- On May 30, police say he led a high-speed chase before crashing into a pole.
- Police officers found him alive at the scene but he later died while in custody.
A late-night police chase in Los Angeles ended in tragedy, confusion, and a wrecked British sports car. What started as a seemingly uneventful car rental spiraled into a bizarre chain of events, raising more questions than answers about what really happened that night.
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A man rented an Aston Martin Vantage on Turo. Formerly the head of an exotic car rental business himself, he seemed very pleased with the sports model. Days later, he destroyed the car at the end of a chase with police. Then, he passed away before officers could book him or determine why he ran in the first place.
A Short Chase, a Sudden Crash
That driver was reportedly 30-year-old Martin Soria. Authorities say that they clocked him speeding at around 3 a.m. on Friday night. As such, they initiated a traffic stop, but Soria allegedly sped away, so officers cut off the pursuit out of concerns over safety. Despite that, Soria crashed the rented Aston Martin into a pole at the intersection of Soto St. and Washington Blvd. It’s what happened next that seems the strangest.
Officers say Soria died at the scene, but not in the car as a direct result of the crash. “There was a small amount of force that was used,” Highway Patrol Sgt. Dan Keene told reporters. “When the fire department arrived on scene, the driver started to show signs of distress and started to vomit. It’s unknown if he ingested anything or if impairment is a factor at this time.”
For now, authorities believe Soria had a cardiac event that led to his death but they’re continuing to investigate.
The owner of the Aston Martin evidently had a good relationship with Soria, despite it being short-lived. “[He] seemed super chill. I was talking to him throughout the whole rental period. He was messaging me, washing the vehicle, saying he was gonna take good care of it,” Juan Orozco, the owner of the sports car, told NBC LA.
Soria seemed to have plans for the Aston Martin. He extended the rental from the original term by eight days and ultimately wanted to keep it for a month. At this point, hopefully, officers can figure out what led to the chase, the crash, and Soria’s demise.
Credit: Telemundo 52
