RICHMOND — One person is dead following a pursuit and a crash in Richmond late Thursday evening.
Richmond Police Department officers attempted to make a traffic stop in the area of 14th Street and National Road West around 11:30 p.m., according to Major Jon Bales.
Instead of stopping for the officers, the driver — later identified as Phillip Casebolt, 36 — accelerated at a high rate of speed, Bales said, fleeing east on National Road West.
During the pursuit, Casebolt drove through a parking lot and onto SW 2nd Street where he stopped briefly, refusing officer commands and then taking off at a high rate of speed south on SW 2nd Street where Richmond Police Department officers lost track of him.
Officers located the vehicle in the 1100 block of Abington PIke where it crashed into a tree.
Bales said responding officers attempted to render medical aide to Casebolt who was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Indiana State Police were called to investigate the crash.
The Wayne County Deputy Coroner said Casebolt's body was taken to Dayton, Ohio for an autopsy. His cause of death has not been determined at this time.
No other details have been released at this time.
