INDIANAPOLIS — An overnight pursuit led to a fiery crash and one person dead on Indianapolis' east side.
An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer saw an erratic driver near 21st and Sherman Drive shortly after midnight. Police say the driver was crossing the center line and speeding through red lights when the officer began chasing him. The officer said the chase only lasted about half a minute before the suspect crashed into a power pole at 21st Street and Dearborn Avenue.
The impact of the crash caused the vehicle and the power pole to catch fire. Downed power lines at the scene forced officers away from the crash and they were unable to get to the driver, according to police. The vehicle also contained live ammunition which began going off inside the crashed vehicle and forced responding officers to take cover nearby.
After emergency crews were able to get closer to the vehicle and put out the fire the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver will need to be identified by the Marion County Coroner.
READ | One person killed, two hurt in Indianapolis police chase
This was the second pursuit by IMPD that ended with a deadly crash in less than a day. One person was killed and two others were injured after a chase on the city's west side ended with an inverted vehicle Wednesday afternoon. That pursuit began when an officer tried to pull over the vehicle for a traffic violation. During the brief pursuit, police say the driver began swerving erratically. The officer attempted to end the pursuit, but the driver lost control over the vehicle and crashed, coming to rest on its side.
Both crashes remain under investigation by IMPD.
