3 teenagers killed in wrong-way crash following high-speed chase in Greensboro

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Three teenagers are dead after a driver suspected of being impaired crashed into a Greensboro Police Department patrol vehicle in a high-speed chase on Wednesday morning.

At around 2:15 a.m. on Wednesday, a GPD officer spotted a vehicle going the wrong way on West Market Street at East Lake Drive and tried to pull the driver over.

The driver refused to stop and continued driving away at a high rate of speed, causing a chase to begin. Police say they suspected that the driver was impaired.

The suspect vehicle crashed into one of the responding GPD patrol cars on the 3900 block of Walker Avenue.

As crews investigated, a GPD car and another vehicle both sat damaged in the middle of the road on Walker Avenue. The cars remained in the street for over seven hours before being towed away.

There is still debris and car parts from the crash spread about along the road in the area.

Three people were inside the suspect vehicle, according to police: two 14-year-old boys and a 15-year-old boy. All three died.

One officer was in the patrol vehicle that was struck.

Guilford County EMS says they sent four ambulances to the scene and that one person was taken to the hospital.

North Carolina State Highway Patrol is conducting an independent investigation into the crash. Greensboro police are also doing an internal investigation and the officers involved are being placed on administrative duty.

Walker Avenue closed in both directions between the intersections of South Holden Road and Wicker Street as a result of the crash. The road opened once again at around noon.

Per protocol, the GPD’s Professional Standards Division will conduct an internal investigation to determine whether departmental policies were followed. According to departmental policy, the officers involved in this incident have been placed on administrative duty pending the investigation.

“As members of the Greensboro community, we recognize that this is a tragic event that affects us all. Any loss of life is difficult, especially when it involves the loss of such young lives. Please continue to keep the families, first responders and all those affected by this incident in your prayers as we navigate through this challenging time,” said Deputy Chief Doug Tabler with the GPD.

‘Chaos’

A person who lives on Walker Avenue described the chaotic scene.

“I heard what sounded like a car sounded like it was going 100 mph going down the street,” said Maury Kennedy. “Immediately I heard the cop cars and I was awake and so came out the door and looked down the street and you knew something really bad had happened.”

He says this is far from the first time a crash has happened in the area.

“Having grown up on this street I’ve seen it quite a bit on this street,” Kennedy said. “My mom has lived here for 50 years and I am not exaggerating when I say this is the 20th time this has happened, never quite this severe but I personally have lost two or three cars being parked outside my moms house over the years.”

FOX8 has previously covered issues regarding speeding drivers on Walker Avenue in June.

He says the police presence and hectic nature of the scene was surreal.

“It was surreal to look at, you saw the chaos, and your brain has a hard time wrapping around what has taken place and there is literally 25 police cars and the sirens and lights,” said Kennedy. “It was one of the [most] chaotic things that I have ever seen and I hated that I was seeing it literally steps from my bedroom window.”

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