Stolen vehicle suspects caused chase spanning 3 Broward cities, police say
Police are searching for a suspect who stole a vehicle and fled, causing a chase that spanned three cities in Broward County on Thursday afternoon.
The incident began in Hallandale Beach at around 4:45 p.m. when officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle in the Golden Isles Safe Neighborhood District. They spotted a man getting into a white SUV parked in a residential driveway on the 600 block of Oleander Drive and drove off.
An officer spotted the stolen SUV on East Hallandale Beach Boulevard and followed it north onto Diplomat Parkway. When the officer activated emergency lights and siren, the driver sped up.
The driver lost control on a curve near the 300 block of Diplomat Parkway, left the road and hit two parked vehicles before continuing north. Two of the SUV's tires were destroyed in the crash.
Officers kept following the heavily damaged vehicle and relayed its location to surrounding agencies.
The suspect then headed towards Hollywood where a crash involving police cruisers occurred at the intersection of Van Buren Street and Federal Highway. Hallendale Beach police said two of their officers sustained minor injuries and the Hollywood Police Department is handling that crash investigation.
The stolen SUV continued west and entered the northbound express lanes of I-95, where a bare rim caught in the pavement and brought it to a stop. The occupants ran before officers reached the vehicle.
Officers, with help from Hallandale Beach K-9 units, tracked two men to a location near a canal in the area of Hayes Street in Hollywood. One person was taken into custody there. A second person involved in the theft has not yet been identified and detectives are actively working to do so.
Chopper 4 was at a Fort Lauderdale home where a family, including children, was seen getting out of the home with their hands up at Northwest 15th Way and 7th Street while police detained some of the residents.
According to Hallandale Beach police, a second vehicle connected to the incident was tracked by a Broward Sheriff's Office helicopter at that home in Fort Lauderdale. Fort Lauderdale Police responded and detained three men for questioning. All three were released and no charges have been filed against them.
The stolen SUV has been recovered and is being processed for evidence. It has not yet been returned to its owner.
Hallandale Beach police are asking anyone who witnessed any part of the incident or who has surveillance video from the Golden Isles area or along Diplomat Parkway between 4:30 and 5:15 p.m. on Thursday, to call detectives at 954-457-1400. To remain anonymous, contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.