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Friday, April 18, 2008
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Stolen vehicle crashes in city after pursuit Two injured; driver flees, is caught Staff Writer A law enforcement pursuit of a stolen vehicle Thursday night ended in a three-vehicle collision on Washington Street in downtown Brainerd that resulted in two injures.
The vehicle, stolen earlier Thursday from an employee at Peterson's Towing in Brainerd, was located southbound on Highway 371 shortly after 7 p.m. by Baxter Police officers.
Baxter Police and Crow Wing Sheriff's deputies pursued the vehicle westbound onto Crow Wing County Road 48/Highland Scenic Road, to Highway 210 and back east into Brainerd.
The vehicle reached speeds between 80-90 mph, Brainerd Police Sgt. David Holtz said, and Baxter officers terminated their pursuit once traffic became heavier into Brainerd. Holtz said it is law enforcement policy to not continue a high-speed pursuit through congested traffic because of the danger it poses to other motorists. Instead, officers slowed down and continued to follow the vehicle.
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A stolen silver four-door sedan sustained severe damage after it collided with a pickup and another car about 7:15 p.m. Thursday at Washington and South Sixth streets in downtown Brainerd. The driver of the stolen vehicle fled on foot and was arrested about three blocks away, near Gregory Park. Two passengers in the stolen vehicle were injured and transported to North Memorial Medical Center in Brainerd. Brainerd Dispatch/Clint Wood
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Holtz said he was on Northwest Third Street when he saw the stolen vehicle.
"I turned around on them and lost sight of them very fast," Holtz said. "When I came up over the rise near Dairy Queen (on Washington Street), I saw nothing but dust from the accident.
"Considering the severity of the crash and the speeds involved, we're very fortunate that we don't have any other people injured."
The stolen vehicle collided with a pickup and another car at the intersection of South Sixth and Washington streets. The driver, a man whose name wasn't released Thursday night, fled on foot and was apprehended by officers about three blocks away near Gregory Park.
The driver of the stolen vehicle wasn't injured. He was transported to the Crow Wing County Jail and formal criminal charges are pending. Two female passengers in the stolen vehicle suffered injuries and were transported by North Ambulance to St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.
The drivers of the other vehicles involved in the collision weren't injured.
Nicholas Simmonds was stopped at the stop light at North Fourth Street when the stolen vehicle, a silver four-door sedan, passed him at a high rate of speed. Simmonds said the vehicle was in the oncoming lane of traffic, crossed over the median and collided with the pickup.
"I saw the back tires of that pickup come about (4 feet) off the ground," Simmonds said.
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A first responder gave aid to a victim in a three-vehicle collision Thursday night in downtown Brainerd. The victim was a passenger in a stolen vehicle that raced through Baxter and Brainerd at speeds of 80-90 mph, the Brainerd Police Department reported. Brainerd Dispatch/Clint Wood
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Mike Selix was driving a semi pulling a trailer loaded with boats when the stolen vehicle passed him as he was pulling into a parking lot about a half a block away from the crash site. He saw the vehicle hit a road directional sign and heard it collide with the other vehicles.
"The thing is, if I wouldn't have pulled into this auto parts store it would have been me sitting there," Selix said.
Onlookers gathered at all four corners of the intersection to watch first responders, firefighters and police officers tend to the victims and interview witnesses. For about an hour, police blocked eastbound traffic on Washington Street and northbound traffic on South Sixth Street while emergency personnel were at the scene.
Brainerd firefighters assisted North Ambulance, but Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Stunek said no victim extrication was needed.
MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.
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