HARRISBURG, N.C. — A high-speed police chase led by a 15-year-old boy ended in Harrisburg Tuesday afternoon when the suspect and a police cruiser collided with two innocent drivers.
The chief deputy said the pursuit will spark an internal and an independent investigation. He told Channel 9 that Cabarrus County deputies got involved in the pursuit after Charlotte police contacted them about a stolen car.
[PHOTOS: Police chase ends with crash in Harrisburg]
CMPD did not chase the vehicle but followed with their helicopter.
Cabarrus County deputies decided to pursue and attempted to stop the stolen car.
Chopper 9 Skyzoom was overhead around noon as deputies chased a black sedan across northeast Mecklenburg County and southwest Cabarrus County.
Several times, the vehicle could be seen speeding in and out of traffic, trying to evade law enforcement.
Moments before the pursuit ended, authorities looked to have had the suspect cornered, even ramming a cruiser into the driver's side of the sedan, but the driver sped off.
As the chase approached Stallings Road and Harrisburg Veteran's Parkway, the suspect tried to make a righthand turn at the intersection but collided with another car.
A pursuing deputy then t-boned another car that was waiting at the red light.
With the suspect vehicle disabled, authorities quickly surrounded it, smashing out windows before dragging the teenage driver from the car and placing him in handcuffs.
From Chopper 9 Skyzoom, first responders could be seen giving medical attention to the other drivers caught up in the crash.
Jack Edwards was in the car that was hit by the suspect’s vehicle and the deputy’s cruiser.
"That's when he hit me, spun me around, not knowing behind him was a police car, and he hit me too," Edwards said.
His right arm and torso were bruised in the accident.
We updated WSOCTV news app users with a notification just before 12:30 p.m. Tuesday about a police chase involving a stolen car that ended in a crash in Harrisburg.
Download the WSOCTV news app for your smartphone and get updates on this developing story as they come in.
A booster seat was on the ground next to the car that was t-boned, but officers told Channel 9 they are unsure if children were in the car.
Security expert Scott Maclatchie told Channel 9 there are a lot of factors officers must consider before engaging in a pursuit.
"What is the person's speed? How reckless does the person appear to be?" Maclatchie said.
Maclatchie said he has helped to write police chase policy that became law in the state of California. He said weather conditions and heavy traffic are also major factors for officers hoping to stop a driver who has broken the law.
"There is always going to be some risk, does that outweigh the need to get this person stopped and to take them into custody," Maclatchie said.
Everyone who was injured in the chase will be OK, officials said.
Check back with wsoctv.com for updates.
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