CLEVELAND — Brand-new dash camera video shows the moments a teenager led Euclid police on a chase spanning more than 10 miles that ended with a crash in Cleveland, leaving several people injured.
Authorities say the chase began when officers attempted to stop a stolen vehicle on the evening of Sept. 30. The dashcam footage sent to 3News shows the moment the high-speed chase took a turn for the worse.
The chase started after officers were alerted to what was believed to be a stolen Kia Sportage by a license plate reader. The officers said they attempted to stop the 15-year-old suspect driver, but he ignored their commands.
During that initial confrontation, one officer suffered minor injuries, but was later released from an area hospital.
The video then shows the teen swerving down a busy street, running red lights and narrowly missing other cars. However, his luck runs out when he drives into Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood, crashing into a Kia Soul being driver by a 56-year-old woman.
After the crash, one of the passengers — another 15-year-old boy — fled the stolen car and ran into a nearby McDonald’s. Officers chased him, tackled him, and handcuffed him.
Meanwhile, at the crash site, police body camera footage showed officers helping a 14-year-old girl, covered in blood, out from under a mangled car. A report from officials listed the teen as a second passenger inside the Kia Sportage.
"She tried to say, 'I just got off,' but she wouldn’t say anything else," one officer can be heard saying. "It seemed like she was trying to make something up."
According to police, officers found a loaded 9mm handgun at the crash scene, which had also been reported stolen from Euclid. All three teens plus the Kia Soul driver were taken to area hospitals.
Charges are expected to be filed against both the teen driver and the 15-year-old male passenger.