DEARORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — Five people were arrested and two of them were taken to the hospital after a chase with police on Monday that ended with a crash in Dearborn.
Dearborn Heights police said around 4 p.m., officers tried to stop a stolen vehicle on eastbound Michigan Avenue near Outer Drive, but the driver tried to get away and continued to drive.
Police said the driver then tried to turn north onto Oakwood Boulevard but crashed into another car, spun out and hit a second car.
"I heard the crash. That was what first caught my attention," said Steven Ragan, who lives a block from the scene.
The crash was likely heard by many based on the aftermath.
"They chased him down the street, he crashed the car and ran up onto my porch," Ragan said.
At least one of suspects ran down Garrison Street, right up to Ragan's front door.
"When I came out, they had him over the front of the car and were handcuffing him. Another officer was actually putting my flowerpot back because I guess they caught him on the porch," Ragan said. "He looked like he'd been resisting, but by the time I got here, they seemed to have everything under control. The officers were out of breath, so they were clearly chasing him and there were three or four cars in the area."
Five people inside the stolen car were taken into custody and two of them were hospitalized with injuries that are not life threatening.
Two other people in the cars hit by the stolen vehicle also suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Police say the suspects are between the ages of 15 and 18 and live in Michigan and North Dakota.
A loaded 9 mm handgun with an extended magazine and a taser were found inside of the car.
"It is kind of a busy area. We have a lot of restaurants and bars in the area, but they generally do a good job keeping an eye on the neighborhood," Ragan said.
Police say like many communities, they are seeing a spike in car thefts.
“Like many communities, we are experiencing a spike in motor vehicle thefts and our residents are understandably frustrated. The thefts negatively impact our residents’ quality of life and ability to earn a living," Dearborn Heights Police Department Chief Jerrod Hart said in a statement. “I would like to thank the women and men of Dearborn Police and Fire Departments for their assistance in this incident. Law enforcement is a team effort with criminals crossing jurisdictional lines to prey on our community members.”
