A man who police said shot himself in the ankle while playing with a handgun in a car on a freeway in Los Angeles County was taken to a hospital early Monday, authorities said.

The man, who authorities said is in his early 20s, was playing with his friend’s gun while the two were traveling on the 60 Freeway when the firearm went off. They drove to north Orange County from Los Angeles County in search of a hospital, said Brea Police Sgt. Chris Haddad.

“In the future, if someone does shoot themselves in the leg, it’d probably be better to pull over and call 911,” he said.

The pair stopped in a parking lot at Brea Boulevard and Imperial Highway about 12:30 a.m. and called 911. Paramedics took the man to a trauma center. His injuries were not life-threatening, authorities said.


Neither of the two men in the car had concealed carry permits, Haddad said.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

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