Man Critically Injured In Crash & Fire After Fleeing Police
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—A bizarre car crash flips one vehicle onto a sidewalk and leaves two people seriously injured. Police say one of their officers was trying to stop the car when it all happened.
Derek Valcourt explains how police got involved.
Police insist this was not a chase but say a suspect's car was fleeing from an officer when it crashed into another vehicle.
The suspect's car flipped over a parked car, landed on its side and then burst into flames after it collided with a tan sedan at the intersection of Pratt and Fulton streets just after noon Thursday.
Firefighters worked quickly to free the trapped driver from the mangled mess.
"I have lived here all my life and I've never seen anything like that," said one neighbor.
"I don't see how anyone could survive that," said another.
Police say one of their officers traveling in the opposite direction spotted that car run a red light or stop sign. As the officer turned around to pull the car over, it took off speeding.
"The car fled as soon as the officer attempted to make a U-turn, out of sight of police. When the officer makes a U-turn, he then puts on his emergency equipment and tries to catch up with that vehicle. Once he catches up with that vehicle, he then realizes that it's crashed six-eight blocks up the road," said Anthony Guglielmi Baltimore City police spokesman.
Police have CitiWatch cameras on just about every block in the area of Pratt and Fulton streets. Investigators will try to analyze that footage to figure out exactly what happened.
"I'm trying to figure out how that car got on that tree, the light pole and those houses, man," said one bystander.
The suspect is listed in critical condition. Police say they found drugs in his car and learned he had an out-of-state warrant for his arrest. The driver of the other car was hospitalized, but she is expected to survive.
"It's unbelievable. I don't know about the guy's injuries, but I hope he makes it though," said another neighbor, watching as crash investigators surveyed the damage.
Police say when the suspect is released from the hospital, he will face multiple drug charges and traffic violations.
The name of the suspect has not yet been released.
