Stolen Car Chase Ends In Crash, Fuel Spill In Southwest Detroit

DETROIT (WWJ) - What started as a pursuit after a stolen vehicle ended with a crash and fuel spill in southwest Detroit.

The incident began around 4:45 a.m. Wednesday in Southgate, when the owner of a 2007 black Ford F250 apparently saw two suspects stealing his vehicle from his driveway. The owner chased after the suspects, who entered I-75 headed north toward Detroit. Both vehicles ended up in the backup of a crash on the freeway at Dearborn Street.

About five minutes later, Michigan State Police caught up to the suspects while they were stuck in the backup and a police pursuit began. Police say the suspects struck a third-party vehicle as it exited at Dearborn Street and turned eastbound onto Fort Street.

The suspects eventually lost control of the vehicle outside of the Detroit Produce Terminal, near Springwells Street, and crashed into a truck that was parked in a loading dock, severing its fuel tank and causing a large fuel spill.

"The driver of the truck said it was possibly 75 gallons of diesel fuel in the truck, and I think he was asleep in the back of the cab when the pickup truck hit him," Fire Lt. Dennis Harper told WWJ's Charlie Langton.

The truck driver was uninjured.

Following the crash, the two suspects fled on foot in opposite directions. Both were eventually caught by troopers and taken into custody without incident.

State Police Lt. Mike Shaw is thankful no one was hurt, but said the truck owner never should have chased after the suspects.

"While this incident did not result in injuries, we need to realize that a vehicle is just a hunk of metal and can be replaced," said Shaw. "If these suspects were armed this could have ended in a different way. Your family and friends are more concerned about your safety, than that car or truck."

Charges are pending.

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