A traffic stop in Mobile turned into a police pursuit and crash Wednesday, leaving a driver with life-threatening injuries after he rammed a patrol car and at least two other vehicles, according to Mobile Police.
Officers tried to stop a vehicle around 11:50 a.m. near Michael Boulevard and Azalea Road for a traffic violation, but the driver refused to comply, police said. The driver then led officers on a pursuit that ended on McGregor Avenue near its intersection with Old Shell Road.
As the pursuit came to an end, the driver struck a police cruiser and at least two other vehicles, authorities said.
The man who led officers on the chase suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital, according to Mobile Police. Two people riding in one of the other vehicles involved in the crash were also hospitalized, with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
Mobile Police said the case remains an active investigation and that no further information would be released at this time.
Motorists should expect delays in the area. As of Wednesday afternoon, McGregor Avenue at Austill Lane remained closed while officers continued working the scene.
Update: Mobile Police Officer Roderick Miles said the crash unfolded as the fleeing driver turned down a dead-end street and attempted a U-turn to escape. “The driver ended up going down a dead-end street, and he made a U-turn, and in the process of making a U-turn, the officer was trying to get out of the way for the driver to be able to make a successful exit, and the driver struck the rear of the police vehicle prior to colliding with two additional vehicles on the roadway,” Miles said. Police said the vehicles struck in the crash included a pickup truck, an SUV and the Mobile Police cruiser.