The driver of a Ford Mustang convertible who led police on an hour and a half car chase through the rain-slicked roads of Hollywood, was trained to drive in the U.S military, it has been revealed.
Driver Herschel Reynolds, 20, was a driver for the U.S. Marine Corps before being 'prematurely discharged' in January, the Pentagon told The Los Angeles Times .
On Thursday, Reynolds and passenger Isaiah Young, 19 led a chase that included donuts for the TV cameras in Hollywood and thousands of people live-tweeting the pursuit which ended with high-fives and selfies.
But his skillful driving may have been thanks to the expert training he received while in the military.
Reynolds was a motor vehicle operator for the 1st Marine Logistics Group at Camp Pendleton, says the U.S. military.
'Herschel Reynolds' premature discharge and rank are indicative of the fact that the character of his service was incongruent with Marine Corps' expectations and standards,' the Pentagon said in a statement obtained by the Times.
And Military records show he served with the Marines as a private for almost two years.
Speaking on Thursday, Dennis Zine, a former L.A. City Councilman and 47-year veteran of the LAPD and its reserve unit, told the LA Times: 'In all my years of seeing chases that is one of top 10 most bizarre pursuits in L.A.
'The high-fives at the end were ridiculous. It was 10 minutes before the sheriffs pulled up to make the arrests.'