DES MOINES, Iowa — Two people died following a police chase that ended in a crash late Wednesday night.
According to Des Moines Police, officers initiated a traffic stop for a lighting violation near Stanton Avenue and McKinley Avenue at approximately 10:30 p.m. The 38-year-old driver provided a false name and fled on foot, resisting arrest.
The driver returned to the vehicle and led police on a chase, driving the wrong way on Fleur Drive at a high rate of speed. Officers executed a Precision Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver, resulting in a crash in the 2500 block of Bell Avenue.
Neither the driver nor the 31-year-old female passenger was wearing seatbelts and both were ejected from the vehicle. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, while the passenger died after being taken to a local hospital.
One officer suffered minor injuries during the attempt to apprehend the driver. The investigation is ongoing, and no charges have been reported at this time.