Two men are dead, and three others are injured after the vehicle they allegedly stole crashed during a police chase in Colchester, Vermont, Friday night.
Vermont State Police say the single-vehicle crash occurred around 7:35 p.m. in the vicinity 1172 East Lakeshore Dr. while the vehicle was being pursued by the Colchester Police Department.
Two of the men were pronounced dead on scene, police said. Three others inside the vehicle were detained by police and then taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington for treatment of injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.
A preliminary investigation by state police reveals the incident began in Burlington when five men allegedly stole a Ford Expedition, with at least one showing a gun during the incident.
The Burlington Police Department located the stolen vehicle and began pursuing it as it fled into Colchester where it nearly struck a marked police cruiser. Burlington police stopped their pursuit, and Colchester police began to pursue the vehicle from West Lakeshore Drive onto East Lakeshore Drive, at which point the Expedition overturned, state police say.
No other vehicles were involved.
East Lakeshore Drive was closed for several hours after the crash and was still closed as of 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
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Both the Burlington and Colchester police departments will conduct internal reviews of the vehicle pursuit, per policy. The Burlington Police Department is also investigating the reported assault and vehicle theft.
No names have been released at this time. State police said Saturday they do not know the identities of everyone involved and investigators are awaiting the results of autopsies.
State police continued their investigation throughout the day Saturday and said it remains active and ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that could help detectives, including any video of the police pursuit that preceded the crash, is asked to call state police at 802-878-7111. Anonymous tips can be submitted online here.
