Homewood Police Chase Ends In Deadly Crash
HOMEWOOD (KDKA)- The driver of a car that was fleeing from police was killed in a crash in Homewood Wednesday morning, and we've learned the crash has ties to a high profile case.
According to police, the chase started just before 2 a.m. along Frankstown Avenue. Police say the suspect's car nearly hit a marked police cruiser and took off.
Officers chasing the car lost sight of it. About 90 seconds later, officers spotted the car crashed into a building on Frankstown Avenue near Dornbush Street.
Police say the driver lost control, hit a utility pole and then slammed into a building.
"They went through some of the various streets. They ended up coming back onto Frankstown coming up to where the car crashed. The officers lost sight of the vehicle. When they come up around the bend, saw that there was a pole in the street and that the car was crashed into a building," Pittsburgh Police Assistant Chief Scott Schubert said.
The driver, 22-year-old Lamont Ford Jr., was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sources close to KDKA-TV say the victim is the same man Pittsburgh Police thought they were pulling over in Highland Park in November of 2012. That night, Leon Ford Jr. was shot and paralyzed by police during the traffic stop.
"It was pretty much a surprise to all of us at this time, at the time, they couldn't tell who was in the vehicle," Pittsburgh Police Commander Maurita Bryant said.
Lamont Ford Jr. had been wanted on an outstanding warrant.
A man in the passenger's seat had to be removed from the car and he was rushed to the hospital. The passenger was last listed in stable condition.
Frankstown Avenue was shut down in both directions around the area of the crash. Power was also knocked out to the area too.
Leon Ford Jr. says he still hasn't processed what happened today, but feels for Lamont's family.
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