ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) -
A police chase
in St. Petersburg ended with three suspects under arrest, two innocent bystanders hurt, and a
trail of debris along two city blocks.
It started
near 40th Avenue North
and Haines Road.
The chase went through 9th Avenue North
and MLK, where it came to a crashing end.
The
suspects were arrested after crashing a stolen car at 9th Avenue and MLK.
But first,
they hit four other cars during the chase.
It all started
just before 1 p.m. when a patrol officer spotted a white Honda sedan in Allendale.
Witnesses
had connected it to three burglaries in that area, and the tag determined it
was stolen.
Police say
it refused to stop, so they followed it to 4th Street and 15th Avenue.
That's
where it collided with the first vehicle, with only minor damages.
From there,
the suspects drove westbound on 15th
Avenue, eventually crashing through some
barricades in an open area of Crescent
Lake Park
where there is no road.
It crossed through
the park where it eventually sped out on to MLK Street, and hit three other cars.
Two
passengers in the blue van were taken to the hospital. Initial examinations
show minor injuries, but no trauma.
And the
three suspects are expected to be charged with fleeing and eluding police, and
residential burglary.
Their names
will be released soon.
As for the
need for the chase: every time there's a police chase crash involving an
innocent bystander, the department is asked about its policy.
A spokesman
for the St. Petersburg Police Department says all authorizations were followed
by the book.
Because it
involved potential felony charges, this chase appears to have followed policy. As
always, it will be investigated.
