ISP: 1 dead, 2 injured after suspect flees traffic stop in New Albany
UPDATE: The deceased has been identified as 36-year-old Darrell Taylor of Louisville, Kentucky. ISP says he was the driver of the fleeing vehicle. His passenger, Damon Simpson, has “serious injuries but is expected to survive,” according to ISP.
NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WISH) — Indiana State Police are investigating a fatal crash after a driver allegedly fled when New Albany police attempted to pull the car over.
ISP investigators say a New Albany Police Department officer attempted to stop a driver in a Dodge Challenger near the intersection of State and Clay streets for reckless driving.
Police say the driver was traveling at a high speed and the officer chose not to pursue.
The Challenger then collided with a Toyota Highlander that had entered State Street from a parking lot.
After hitting the Highlander, the Challenger drove off the roadway into a parking lot, colliding with a parked bus and soon caught on fire.
The officer who originally attempted to stop the car arrived and pulled one person from the vehicle.
Responders were unable to remove the second person, who was later pronounced dead at the scene.
The names of the Challenger occupants have not been released.
The driver of the Toyota Highlander was taken to a hospital in Louisville with non-life threatening injuries. Injuries to the other Challenger occupant are believed to not be life threatening.
The crash is still under investigation. An ISP crash reconstruction team is helping with the investigation.