A late-night police chase on Treasure Island ended in a violent single-car crash yesterday, sending six people to the hospital after a driver tried to outrun a traffic stop near 104th Avenue and Gulf Boulevard. Authorities said the injuries were non-life-threatening, and the scene remains under investigation.
Deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office told Tampa Bay 28 they were called to a wreck at the intersection late Saturday and learned the vehicle had sped away from Treasure Island police during an attempted traffic stop. Investigators said the driver lost control and slammed into a utility pole, then a vacant building. All six occupants, including the driver, were taken to area hospitals with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
Why pursuits can turn dangerous fast
Police chases can escalate from routine to life-threatening in seconds, putting drivers, passengers and bystanders in harm's way. The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated roughly 68,000 vehicle pursuits in 2012 and reported that pursuit-related crashes caused more than 7,000 deaths from 1996 to 2015, a sobering reminder of how quickly a simple stop can spin out on public roads.
Investigation and how to share information
The sheriff's office says the crash remains an active investigation and has not released additional details, according to Tampa Bay 28. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. The agency's non-emergency number is available on the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office website.
