By CHRIS JACKET
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE – A local teen last weekend served as a reminder the importance of using headlights – among several other things – during a driving incident.
Police spotted a 14-year-old Lincoln Park boy driving a burgundy 1999 Ford Taurus with its headlights off north on Biddle Avenue near Walnut about 1:30 a.m. June 12.
When a patrol car pulled behind the Taurus and activated its overhead lights, the Taurus immediately took off at a high speed. The officer turned on the siren and began pursuit.
The Taurus swerved into the southbound lane of Biddle multiple times while still traveling north with its headlights off.
The officer attempted to illuminate the vehicle with a spotlight so southbound traffic could see it and saw the vehicle actually attempt to hit several southbound vehicles. While approaching Goddard Road, the officer observed the pursuit was going 90 mph in a 35-mph zone.
The Taurus swerved directly at a southbound vehicle that was slowing down for a red light at Goddard, but the southbound vehicle made a defensive maneuver to avoid a collision while the Taurus ran the red light and swerved out of control after missing the vehicle.
Attempting to turn west onto Perry Place while still speeding, the Taurus went up over a curb and onto the grass before crashing head on into an unoccupied and parked 2006 Ford Focus in an apartment parking lot.
The boy then exited his car and fled south on foot through the alley just west of Biddle. The officer chased behind him west on Goddard, north on First and then through a back yard. The boy then got back onto eastbound Goddard and crossed Biddle while the officer yelled for him stop multiple times during the chase.
Running south on the east side of Biddle, the boy saw the officer gaining on him and threw himself on the ground and started yelling, “I’m only 14” several times before and while being handcuffed. He refused to give the officer his hands and tried to prevent the officer from handcuffing him before being overpowered.
(Contact Chris Jackett at [email protected])