Two people lost their lives on Tuesday in a crash after the driver of an SUV allegedly attempted to evade police on a busy section of U.S. 41 in Evansville, Indiana.
Videos by Suggest
The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office has identified the two individuals who died as 24-year-old Haley Crumb and 24-year-old Brent McKinney. They were pronounced dead at the scene near the intersection of U.S. 41 and St. George Road, according to officials, per the Evansville Courier & Press.
According to Sgt. Anthony Aussieker, spokesperson for the Evansville Police Department, officers conducted a traffic stop on an SUV just before 3 p.m. at the Circle K gas station located at 4101 U.S. 41 near Lynch Road.
The Evansville Police Department later shared dashcam footage capturing a suspect’s SUV fleeing a traffic stop. As the vehicle accelerates away, the video shows officers hurrying to their patrol cars. However, authorities have stated that no pursuit was initiated.
“After the initial stop, the driver of the vehicle fled north on U.S. 41 at 3:01 p.m.,” Aussieker said in a statement per the Courier & Press. “Officers then terminated the stop, disengaging their lights and sirens. The lead officer proceeded north on (on U.S. 41) to attempt to monitor the fleeing driver’s actions.”
The video shows one officer pursuing the vehicle. According to police, the officer maintained a safe speed, aiming only to determine the car’s direction of travel and whether its speed contributed to a crash.
Indiana Police Haven’t Explained What Prompted the Traffic Stop Which Led to a Fatal Crash
The EPD has not revealed who was driving the SUV at the time of the incident. Additionally, officials have yet to explain the circumstances that prompted the traffic stop.
About a mile northbound, the SUV collided with a tractor-trailer that was turning east onto St. George Road from U.S. 41, according to Aussieker.
“Officers immediately attempted to render aid to the occupants of the fleeing vehicle when the accident was discovered,” Aussieker explained “Both occupants of the fleeing vehicle were deceased.”
Meanwhile, according to police, the tractor-trailer driver reported no injuries.
On Tuesday, as crash reconstructionists and crime scene technicians examined the area, a witness reportedly stepped forward, claiming to have discovered a gun near the crash site.
“This firearm was seized as evidence pending further investigation,” Aussieker added.
Northbound 41 was temporarily closed for several hours due to the incident, which remains under investigation.