Update: Detroit homicide suspect arrested, large amount of suspected heroin seized after chase in Ann Arbor

Police arrested three suspected heroin dealers following a dramatic chase through downtown Ann Arbor Tuesday afternoon that ended with a T-bone crash at one of the city's busiest intersections.

In front of a large crowd at the intersection of South Main Street and Liberty Street, a black Nissan Altima with three men inside crashed into a black Mazda 3 with four individuals inside, most of them children. The crash, just before 3:40 p.m. Tuesday, ended the suspects' attempt to flee police, which started a few blocks away.

A Michigan State Police trooper, who asked to only be identified as Trooper Carpenter, said the pursuit began at Fourth Avenue and East Washington Street. Carpenter said the chase went from there to Fifth Avenue, down to East Liberty Street and west to the crash site.

“He came through a red light and T-boned an innocent party, and it ended right there,” Carpenter said.

Michigan State Police Lt. Dale Smith, of the Livingston and Washtenaw Narcotics Enforcement Team, said the three men were heroin dealers out of the Detroit area. Troopers were investigating the men when they fled from police.

Witnesses told The Ann Arbor News police were in hot pursuit of the Altima and, immediately following the crash, a state police SUV pulled directly in front of the Altima.

George Vander Tuig, the driver of the Mazda 3, said he was unhurt by the crash but appeared to be shaken up from the experience. A teacher at AIM High School in Whitmore Lake, Vander Tuig was driving a group of students on a field trip.

The students appeared to be enjoying some ice cream at the time of the crash — a cup of ice cream was upside down in the back of the car following the collision.

The Altima hit the Mazda 3 on the passenger side, pinning in the two doors on that side of the vehicle. The airbags on that side of the car deployed.

“He just broadsided us,” Vander Tuig said.

Vander Tuig and his students were kept in the car for a while following the crash, and none appeared to have visible injuries. Huron Valley Ambulance crews responded to the scene.

Vander Tuig needed to be taken by stretcher into a waiting ambulance, while the rest of the passengers were able to walk to a different ambulance. They were all taken to University of Michigan Hospital for precautionary reasons, Carpenter said.

Following the crash, a dramatic scene played out in front of tens of, if not a hundred, onlookers.

The troopers and officers from the Ann Arbor police surrounded the Altima with weapons drawn, said Eric Vander Putten. Vander Putten and his mother, Joanne, were walking to bd’s Mongolian Grill at the time of the crash.

“They pulled up and pulled their guns out,” Vander Putten said of the police.

Carpenter said police treated the suspects as if they were armed and dangerous. The three men were handcuffed and taken to the Washtenaw County Jail.

Vander Putten said he only saw two of the men when they were arrested. One of the suspects appeared to be bloodied during the crash.

At the same time, Ann Arbor police officers responded to the scene and shut down Main Street and Liberty Street in the area. Main Street was shut down between William and Washington streets, while Liberty was closed down between Fourth and Ashley Street.

Police officers — who appeared to be undercover investigators, based on the cloth obscuring their faces — and K-9 units searched the Altima. Officers could be seen tearing apart the car, ripping the seat backs and entering the trunk.

Multiple bags in the trunk and rear seat of the car were searched, with multiple small bags pulled out of a large green backpack in the rear seat. Carpenter couldn’t confirm if drugs were found at the scene.

Michigan State Police accident reconstructionists responded to the scene and began their investigation about 5 p.m. About an hour later, tow trucks showed up on scene to remove the Mazda and the Altima.

Ann Arbor police on scene deferred to Michigan State Police for comment.

Carpenter said there was no truth to rumors pedestrians were hit during the chase. He said the Altima was not stolen.

It was a bizarre and shocking scene; not only for the people gawking on the sidewalks but also those involved.

“I’ve never seen anything like this down here,” Vander Tuig said.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for The Ann Arbor News. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@mlive.com or you can follow him on Twitter. Find all Washtenaw County crime stories here.