Man dies after leading police on a chase, crashing into a wall on Island Avenue
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A man is dead after police responded to a crash that turned into a chase.
Just before 7 a.m. this morning, police were called to Eckert Street and Beaver Avenue for reports of a crash.
Once they arrived they found a vehicle that had been pinned up against a wall. The driver appeared to be unresponsive, but ultimately was alert and spoke with officers through the window of the vehicle.
Officers saw narcotics on the man's lap and asked him to exit the vehicle, but he refused, and then fled, hitting a parked vehicle head-on and then speeding down Beaver Avenue.
The man ended up running into a light standard at Island Avenue and then crashing into another wall.
When he crashed into the wall, the vehicle caught fire and medics were able to use a fire extinguisher before firefighters were on the scene. The firefighters were able to fully extinguish the fire and the man was extracted from the vehicle and taken to the hospital.
He later died at the hospital.
The Pittsburgh Police Collision Investigation Unit is looking into the incident.