STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Police have released dash-cam video from a high-speed police pursuit that ended with an innocent bystander killed in Sterling Heights.
UPDATE: 17-year-old charged in Sterling Heights crash that killed 20-year-old woman
The crash happened Thursday night at the intersection of 15 Mile and Van Dyke roads.
“It was like a bomb. It was terrible,” said witness Ernest Warrick. “I didn’t even realize until I started looking that there were three cars involved. It was something else.”
Police released video Friday captured inside Jim Riehl’s Friendly Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram. The footage captured four people stealing four vehicles from the garage.
ORIGINAL STORY: Driver fleeing police causes deadly crash in Sterling Heights
Dealership break-in surveillance footage can be seen in the video player below.
Dash-cam video picks up the driver of a Jeep running every red light and topping speeds of 100 miles per hour. The officer gives chase, but loses the vehicle on the freeway.
The Jeep eventually crashed in Sterling Heights, hitting two cars and killing a 20-year-old woman. Police said the driver of the stolen Jeep was a 17-year-old boy who was taken to the hospital. A passenger in the Jeep had fled the scene before police arrived.
”Not only did a 20-year-old lose her life, there were two other people in another vehicle that were injured,” said Sterling Heights police Lt. Mario Bastianelli. “Could those people have lost their lives? That vehicle was traveling over 100 miles an hour, it’s a missile going down the road. It’s unnecessary. All for what? A stolen vehicle? What a waste.”
Two other stolen vehicles were found. A white Dodge Charger was seen speeding in Warren on I-696 until police called the chase off at I-94. A green Challenger was later found abandoned on Highway 53, just south of 23 Mile Road.
Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to contact the Sterling Heights Police Traffic Safety Bureau at 586-446-2920.
Anyone with information regarding the car dealership break-in is asked to contact the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office at 586-307-9358.