Update: 1 dead, 4 injured after police pursuit ends in horrific San Francisco Mission District crash
SAN FRANCISCO -- One person was killed and four others injured after the carjacking of a city vehicle ended in a horrific, high-speed crash in San Francisco's Mission District Tuesday morning.
San Francisco police spokesman Officer Robert Rueca said, "during the carjacking a physical struggle did occur" between the city employee and the suspect.
"Officers responded to reports of a carjacking in the area of Folsom and Mabini streets," Rueca said. "Officers received the identification of that vehicle being city owned and the vehicle was spotted in area of Kansas and 25th streets. A vehicle pursuit ensued due to the carjacking. The pursuit came here to 16th and Potrero streets where a vehicle collision was involved."
At the intersection of 16th Street and Potrero, the stolen truck slammed into an SUV. The vehicles then careened into a bus stop, seriously injuring two individuals.
The force of the impact sent the truck crashing into a storefront, carrying the victims from the bus stop with it.
"As a result of the collision, the suspect and four victims sustained injuries. Officers rendered aid and summoned medics to the scene," said police in a press statement. "The suspect was detained on scene. Medics transported the suspect and the victims to a local hospital. One of the four victims succumbed to their injuries and was declared deceased."
San Francisco Fire Capt. Jonathan Baxter said the incident began with 911 calls reporting a collision at 16th Street and Potrero at a little after 10 a.m.
He said multiple ambulances and EMT units responded to the scene to treat the victims and transport them to local hospitals.
"One of those victims has been declared deceased," Rueca said.
Ivan Contreras was working in the O'Reilly Auto Parts store which had its windows shattered by the crash. He and a fellow employee rushed out to the street.
"We heard this big sound like an explosion," he told KPIX. "We came put and saw all the glass blown out of our store. We saw a couple people on the floor (of a store)."
The truck had ripped into the building. Contreras said a man was on the ground with a serious head injury.
"I looked at the back (of the truck)," he said. "There was a lady pinned underneath under the truck. I bent down and lifted the bumper off her chest so she could breath. In Spanish she said 'don't leave me.' I called out to the EMTs who didn't known she was there. They helped her out."
Contreras also said he watched police arrest the suspected carjacker at gunpoint.
The crash remained under investigation.
