A red light run that ended a life
A 48-year-old Detroit man died Thursday morning after a pickup truck fleeing Warren police ran a red light and struck his car at the intersection of 8 Mile Road and Schoenherr Road.
The crash happened just after 2 a.m. at the Detroit-Warren border. The victim was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead, according to the Warren Police Department.
Ski masks and a stolen truck
Warren officers were on routine patrol near Fairfield Avenue and Georgiana Avenue when they spotted a silver Dodge Ram with at least five occupants wearing ski masks, according to multiple reports.
Officers attempted to pull over the vehicle. The driver did not stop. The truck fled southbound on Schoenherr Road toward 8 Mile.
"Officers saw multiple people inside wearing ski masks and driving through neighborhoods," according to a news release from Warren police.
The truck ran a red light at 8 Mile and Schoenherr. It struck a vehicle traveling westbound on 8 Mile Road.
Four juveniles arrested, one suspect at large
All five occupants of the Dodge Ram fled on foot after the crash. Police arrested four of them. All four are juveniles, according to Warren police.
One suspect remains at large, according to reports from Michigan Legal Center.
A spree of vehicle crimes
Investigators believe the juveniles are responsible for at least 15 vehicle-related crimes in Warren over the 48 hours before the crash. The crimes include thefts and attempted thefts, according to Warren police.
The Warren Police Department Detective Bureau and the Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit are investigating the crash and the string of vehicle crimes.
What happens next
Because the crash occurred during a police pursuit, investigators will also examine whether officers followed department pursuit policies, according to Michigan Legal Center.
Michigan law can impose serious criminal consequences when a driver flees from police and causes a crash resulting in death. Passengers may also face criminal exposure if prosecutors prove they participated in the underlying crimes or encouraged the driver to flee.
The investigation remains ongoing.