BY SARAH STEPHENS
PHOTO BY CARLA WILSON, ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
This morning around 8 a.m. a Wetumpka Police Officer attempted to pull over a vehicle that had a tag reported as stolen. That began a pursuit that involved Wetumpka, the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, the Millbrook Police Department and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. It ended when the suspect vehicle hit a second vehicle on Hwy. 143 near Jackson Lake Road in Millbrook.
An as of yet unidentified male and female in the suspect vehicle sustained serious injuries in the crash. The driver of the second vehicle also received injuries that do not appear to be life threatening.
Wetumpka Police Chief Greg Benton said the suspect vehicle had left the casino and entered onto U.S. Hwy. 231 southbound. The Wetumpka Police Department began getting calls from drivers reporting the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and recklessly. As the Wetumpka officer got in behind the suspect vehicle and reported the tag number, an Elmore County Deputy joined the pursuit, and took over the lead as the chase was leaving Wetumpka limits. The chase continued to Northern Boulevard and then I-65 North.
As this was occurring, Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin was coming back from Montgomery when he heard the radio traffic and came into contact with the suspect vehicle. He attempted to stop the vehicle, but the chase continued.
The suspect vehicle took the Millbrook/Coosada exit 176 to Hwy. 143.
However, Millbrook Police were waiting and deployed spike strips along Hwy. 143. Near Jackson Lake Road, the suspect vehicle reportedly swerved to avoid the spike strips, lost control and went off the roadway. The vehicle reentered Hwy. 143 and struck an oncoming vehicle, described as a POD truck.
According to Sheriff Franklin, he believes the suspect vehicle had been traveling at an extreme amount of speed just prior to the crash.
Millbrook Police witnessed the accident and immediately called for the Millbrook Fire Department and all available units. Hwy. 143 was shut down in both directions, as debris from the vehicles covered the roadway.
One person was removed from the suspect vehicle with extreme injuries. A second person was initially entrapped, but was successfully removed by Millbrook personnel.
The road remained closed at the time of this report around 10 a.m..
The accident scene will be investigated by ALEA. The Wetumpka Police will be the primary investigators of the initial call. We will update with more information as it becomes available.
