Akron police chase turns deadly after crash into tree

AKRON, Ohio (WJW) – A man has died and others were hospitalized after a police chase ended in multiple crashes Tuesday evening.

According to a press release from the Akron Police Department , officers stopped a vehicle for “suspicious activity” on the 600 block of Copley Road just before 6:50 p.m.

When officers approached the vehicle, the driver took off and led police on a chase.

According to the release , the chase was led down several residential streets in the Copley Road area before it was canceled due to unsafe speeds. The driver then continued north on Roslyn Avenue.

According to the release , the driver ran a stop sign at Roslyn Ave. and Copley Rd. before heading west and causing a crash on Copley Rd. The driver then lost control of the vehicle, sideswiped two other cars, and then hit a tree.

The driver of the suspect vehicle, a 29-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene. A front seat passenger of the suspect vehicle, a 30-year-old man, was taken to the Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release .

The drivers of the three other vehicles involved in the crash were also taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to the release , a handgun was found inside the suspect vehicle and the speed of the suspect’s vehicle was a contributing factor in the crash.

The driver’s name is being withheld at this time. This crash remains under investigation.

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