A high-speed chase early Friday morning ended in tragedy when a car attempting to evade police crashed into a tree on State Blvd., Fort Wayne, resulting in a fire and one fatality. The Fort Wayne Police Department reported that an officer on patrol noticed the vehicle speeding and weaving around another car on the road. The officer tried to pull the vehicle over at Lake Ave and Laverne Ave, but the car instead sped up, eventually losing control and hitting a tree.
The car caught fire shortly after the crash, but the two people inside managed to escape the flames. Emergency responders transported both occupants to a local hospital, where one was pronounced dead, according to the Fort Wayne Police Department. The identity of the deceased has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin. The police stated, "Speed is a factor in the crash."
Investigators from the Fatal Crash Team were at the scene to document the incident. The ongoing investigation is being supported by several agencies, including the Allen County Coroner’s Office, the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Fort Wayne Police Air Support Team. The efforts to fully understand the events leading up to the crash are complicated, as is, the extraction of justice for those involved.
Sergeant John Nichter, Public Information Officer for the Fort Wayne Police Department reported that the officer involved in the pursuit did not witness the crash and arrived on scene after the collision had occurred. "Investigators with the Fatal Crash Team are on scene documenting the crash scene," Nichter said, emphasizing the gravity of the situation and the diligence of the investigation. Any potential charges or citations related to the incident have not been disclosed at this time, the implications of which hang heavy over a community in mourning.
