Three teens killed in crash with patrol car during high-speed police chase, NC cops say

Three teenagers were killed in a crash with a patrol car during a high-speed police chase in North Carolina, officials said.

An officer also was injured after the Greensboro Police Department said cops tried to stop a driver suspected of being impaired early Wednesday, July 17.

“Any loss of life is difficult, especially when it involves the loss of such young lives,” Deputy Chief Doug Tabler wrote in a statement posted to Facebook. “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.”

Police said the boys — two 14-year-olds and one 15-year-old — were in a vehicle at about 2:15 a.m. An officer reportedly saw the vehicle going the wrong way and tried to conduct a traffic stop.

But police said the person behind the wheel didn’t stop and sped off. Officers then launched a chase, which ended when the vehicle hit one of the responding patrol cars on Walker Avenue, according to social media posts.

“Right after the wreck happened , I saw the damage, but at that point, it was still smoky,” Maury Kennedy, who lives in the area, told WXII. “There was still chaos, lights everywhere. But you knew that this was only half of a car that was remaining.”

Police said responding officers pulled the teens from their vehicle. But “despite life-saving measures attempted at the scene by officers and emergency personnel, the three juveniles succumbed to their injuries.”

As of July 17, the officer in the crashed cruiser was being treated at a hospital for serious injuries, according to police.

The department said it’s launching an internal investigation and asked the N.C. State Highway Patrol to investigate the crash independently. Also, the “officers involved in this incident have been placed on administrative duty pending the investigation.”

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