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3 killed in crash on Indy’s east side after police call off pursuit

3 killed in crash minutes after police chase

LATEST: The Marion County Coroner’s Office has identified the driver of the vehicle hit by the Challenger as Makayla Hankins, 21. The coroner also identified the two passengers of the Challenger who died as Christian Leyba-Gonzalez, 14, and Jose Gonzalez, 31, both of Indianapolis.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Three people died in a crash on Indianapolis’ east side Tuesday night.

The incident unfolded shortly after 9:30 p.m. when state troopers attempted to stop the driver of a Dodge Challenger in the area of East Washington Street and Mitthoeffer Road, Indiana State Police say.

Despite the trooper’s lights and sirens, the driver refused to comply, setting off a pursuit that lasted 12 minutes and wound into rural Hancock County before returning to Indianapolis.

State police say the pursuit proved challenging for law enforcement and officers struggled to deploy stop sticks effectively. The suspect’s driving prompted the decision to end the chase.

Just five minutes later, the driver of the Dodge Challenger, still traveling at an excessive speed, disregarded a red light and collided with another vehicle at 10th Street and Mitthoeffer Road, not far from where the pursuit had ended.

State police say two passengers in the suspect’s car and the driver of the other vehicle succumbed to their injuries. Three other people were critically injured and both vehicles were heavily damaged.

The driver of the Dodge Challenger suffered minor injuries. Police arrested him on preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement causing death.

Authorities have withheld the names of the suspect and the victims pending further investigation.