1 dead, 2 injured after police chase ends in crash

A passenger was killed and two others were injured after the vehicle they rode in fled from police on Thursday afternoon and crashed into a vacant home on Detroit's west side, police said.

The chase began soon after two officers with a special operations unit saw a black Ford SUV speeding by them near Manor and Foley at around 1:15 p.m., said Sgt. Cassandra Lewis, a Detroit Police spokeswoman.

The officers pulled the SUV over and when they got out of the car, they noticed boxes of ammunition. But before they could get to the car, the suspects took off, Lewis said.

A chase lasted about 30 seconds, but the officers then called it off themselves because construction in the area made the pursuit too dangerous, Lewis said.

Moments later, the SUV crashed into the vacant home at Wyoming and Buena Vista. One of the passengers was pronounced dead at the scene, while two others were taken to a hospital, one with critical injuries.

Police also found firearms in the car. They declined to release details about the suspects, other than to say that the driver was on a tether.

Lewis didn't release details about whether the police car had a camera in it.

The crash follows another recent police chase that ended fatally. On June 24, two young children were killed and four other bystanders were injured after a driver who was fleeing police jumped a curb and crashed into them on Detroit's east side.

At least 50 people have been killed in high-speed chases in Michigan since Jan. 13, according to State Police and Free Press data.

Contact Daniel Bethencourt: dbethencourt@freepress.com or 313-223-4531. Follow on Twitter at @_dbethencourt.