Murder Charges Handed Down For Driver Of Fleeing Car The Killed 2 Detroit Children
DETROIT (WWJ) -- The Wayne County Prosecutor's office has filed second-degree murder charges against the driver of a car that allegedly led police on a chase before hitting and killing two children on Wednesday.
Along with the murder charges, Lorenzo Harris is facing fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and weapons charges. Harris was arrested after crashing a Chevrolet Camaro into the kids on Nottingham St. near Warren Ave. at around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night.
Investigators say Harris was driving 95 miles an hour when he hit and killed a six-year-old boy and his three-year-old sister. Other children hurt in the incident were last reported in stable condition.
At a stoplight, police say, two officers spotted the red Camaro with two men inside — one of them brandished a handgun. Officers activated their siren and attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspects took off and a chase ensued — reaching speeds of up to 95 per hour on residential streets, according to police.
The Camaro was reportedly driving at such a high rate of speed, officers lost sight of it at one point. Police say the officers were calling off the chase when they saw smoke ahead. The fleeing vehicle had crashed into the front porch of a home near Frankfurt and Nottingham, where several kids were playing outside.
"As they got closer, they saw two children laying in the roadway," Police Chief James Craig told reporters. "They stopped, got out, made efforts to resuscitate both children who were in the roadway, then placed them in their police vehicle and they were transported to the hospital. As other officers responded, they could see additional children were also struck by this fleeing vehicle. They were immediately placed in the police vehicle and transported."
Two children, a 6-year-old boy and 3-year-old girl, were declared dead at the hospital. Three other children, ages 3, 5 and 7, were hospitalized. Late Thursday afternoon, Craig said, the 3 and 5-year-olds were expected to be released from the hospital soon, while the 7-year-old — a boy — remained in critical condition.
The fleeing vehicle also struck a 23-year-old woman, who was taken to the hospital in serious condition.