An active pursuit through Westfield April 1 of a vehicle allegedly stolen out of Noblesville ended with a dramatic crash causing minor injuries to a Westfield police officer and the alleged thief.
The incident began when WPD received notice of a stolen vehicle out of Noblesville entering Westfield shortly after 5 p.m.
According to a press release by the WPD, a traffic stop was attempted, however the driver of the vehicle refused to stop and a pursuit was initiated, lasting for several miles.
Officials stated that the teenage driver of the white sedan took a turn from South Street onto N. Union Street too quickly and lost control of the vehicle, colliding with a marked Westfield Police SUV.
A Westfield officer was outside of the vehicle attempting to get stop sticks out when the collision occurred, striking the officers leg and causing minor injuries.
The notification was a result of the vehicle traveling past the city’s Flock Safety license plate reader cameras. The cameras give police access to data in real time, providing alerts for stolen vehicles, a missing person’s vehicle, or any vehicle used in a crime.
“The Flock Safety system has repeatedly demonstrated its effectiveness in enhancing the safety of our streets. With this valuable tool at our disposal, we can rest assured that our community is in good hands,” Mayor Scott Willis stated. “I also want to commend our Police Department officers for their actions on Monday evening; this situation could have had a very different outcome if their swift action had not been taken.”
Flock Safety cameras are not used for traffic enforcement such as speeding or minor violations.
The driver, a juvenile male from Dayton, Ohio, was taken into custody without incident. He was transported to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital with minor injuries from the crash.
No other passengers were in the suspect vehicle.
Preliminary charges for the juvenile suspect include theft of a motor vehicle; resisting law enforcement with a vehicle; resisting law enforcement causing bodily injury; criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon; and reckless driving causing bodily injury.
