AKRON, Ohio — A 29-year-old man has died and three others are hurt following a crash, which happened during a chase in Akron on Tuesday evening.
Akron police say it was around 6:47 p.m. when officers stopped a vehicle for suspicious activity “after observing traffic violations in the 600 block of Copley Road.”
When officers got out and approached the vehicle, the driver allegedly took off and led police on a chase.
“The pursuit traveled down several residential streets in the Copley Road area before it was canceled due to unsafe speeds about a minute after the chase began,” according to Akron police.
Police say the driver then continued northbound on Rosyln Avenue at a high rate of speed.
“The vehicle then ran the stop sign on Roslyn Avenue at Copley Road and drove into the path of a vehicle traveling westbound on Copley, causing a collision,” according to police. “After the initial collision, the driver lost control of the vehicle and sideswiped two other cars before striking a tree.”
The vehicles that were impacted or struck during the crash were a Chevy Equinox, a Dodge Ram and a Chevy Trax.
Police say the driver of the suspect vehicle, a Nissan Altima, was pronounced dead at the scene. His name is being withheld pending further investigation, but he was identified as a 29-year-old man.
A handgun was recovered from inside the vehicle, according to police.
The front-seat passenger, identified as a 30-year-old man, was taken to the hospital with injuries that police say are not life-threatening.
Police say that the drivers of two of the vehicles involved in the crash were taken to the hospital. The driver of the Dodge Ram was admitted to the hospital for observation after sustaining injuries. The driver of the Equinox was discharged from the hospital.
At this time, the crash remains under investigation. The speed of the violator's vehicle is believed to be a contributing factor.
UPDATE: On Sept. 9, police released body camera video of the incident. Our Matt Rascon reviewed what it showed.
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