High-speed chase ends in deadly crash in Gilroy
High-speed chase ends in deadly crash in Gilroy
A high-speed police pursuit ended in a deadly crash on Tuesday when a getaway vehicle crashed and flipped over in downtown Gilroy.
GILROY, Calif. - A high-speed police pursuit ended in a deadly crash on Tuesday when a getaway vehicle crashed and flipped over in downtown Gilroy.
Police confirmed two people in the car were pronounced dead at the scene, and a third person was airlifted to a hospital for treatment and remains in critical condition.
Deadly pursuit involving Morgan Hill police
What we know:
Morgan Hill police on Tuesday said the drama started when its officers received a "be-on-the-lookout" alert for a car stolen out of Hollister.
A Gilroy police officer initially spotted the car, but did not initiate a traffic stop. Morgan Hill officers were then notified of the stolen vehicle.
Morgan Hill officers later spotted the driver on Monterey Road near Middle Avenue, and tried to stop the driver at a 76 gas station, but the driver refused.
"[The officers] exited their vehicles and ordered the occupants to exit the vehicle. The occupants did not exit and the vehicle sped off back onto northbound Monterey Road," said Detective Sergeant Sean Bayard with the Morgan Hill Police Department.
During a second stop attempt in the 15000 block of Monterey Road, the suspects' car ended up hitting a tree and a large dumpster near officers before fleeing toward Gilroy, police said.
Officers had to quickly get out of the way to avoid being injured.
Officers started chasing the driver, who then ran a red light at the intersection of Monterey Road and Leavesley Road, police said. Morgan Hill police estimate the car could have reached speeds between 110 and 120 miles-per-hour.
Deadly crash investigation underway in Gilroy
Authorities are investigating a deadly crash in Gilroy involving a teenage driver on Friday.
Driver crashed, flipped in front of church
Local perspective:
The driver eventually crashed and landed upside down at the intersection of First and Monterey streets, coming to a rest directly in front of Saint Mary's Parish Church.
During the investigation, several businesses across Monterey Road were closed because of the investigation.
"Oh, it is really scary. I see a dead body out there laid out on the road," said Pat Ly, who owns a smog check station directly across the street from the accident site.
All three occupants were ejected from the truck, police said.
The California Highway Patrol's Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team, or MAIT, arrived at the scene on Tuesday and will continue the investigation.