By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE — Two men in a stolen car led Wyandotte police on a dangerous high-speed chase Aug. 17 that ended in Detroit, with both being captured.
At 12:28 a.m. Aug. 17, police officers identified a stolen car being driven south on Fort Street near Eureka Road. A traffic stop was attempted, but the vehicle accelerated and turned onto northbound Fort Street.
The driver ignored red lights and reached a speed near 100 mph in an attempt to evade capture. The driver then turned off his headlights and turned onto Southfield Road, driving west in the eastbound lanes.
Deputy Police Chief Archie Hamilton said turning off their headlights and driving in the wrong lane of travel are common techniques used by criminals to get police officers to terminate a pursuit.
Eventually, the driver drove over the median and returned to the proper lane of travel on Southfield Road, and continued on as it became the Southfield Freeway.
The driver exited the freeway onto Joy Road in Detroit, then used residential side streets until he reached Warren Avenue in Detroit.
At Warren near Rutland Street, while still driving 100 mph, the man lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the pursuing police vehicle before hitting a utility pole.
The two men then abandoned the car and tried to escape on foot, while an officer, who dislocated his shoulder, gave chase.
Other Wyandotte police officers assisted, as did the Michigan State Police. The driver was found hiding under a parked vehicle, while an MSP helicopter equipped with heat sensors helped find the second man, who was then taken into custody.
A 20-year-old Romulus man and a 17-year-old Brownstown Township man were arrested.
The injured Wyandotte officer was hospitalized for a short time and is expected to undergo several weeks of physical therapy.
Hamilton said there must be stiffer penalties for those who try to flee police officers by means of a high-speed chase.
He said restrictive policies and critics who prevent police officers from doing their jobs are destroying communities.
“Vehicle pursuits are at an all-time high throughout the state of Michigan, and the restrictive pursuit policies coupled with the frivolous lawsuits against police agencies are to blame,” Hamilton said. “The only way to take the power away from the criminals is to enact mandatory prison time for fleeing and eluding. The number of high-speed pursuits would be greatly reduced and overall crime will drastically fall.”