Police: Video captures 14-year-old in stolen car arrested for leading police on Tri-Cities pursuit
WTVR, MICHELLE WELLS, SURVEILLANCE VIDEO OBTAINED BY WTVR, CNN
By Wayne Covil
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PETERSBURG, Virginia (WTVR) — A 14-year-old girl faces multiple felony charges after leading four police agencies on a chase across several Central Virginia counties and cities on Thursday morning.
The pursuit began in Prince George County just after 7 a.m. when officers attempted to stop a vehicle for reckless driving, police said.
The driver, later identified as the 14-year-old, refused to pull over, and the chase continued through Hopewell before entering Petersburg.
Virginia State Police were called in to assist when the suspect vehicle reached Petersburg.
“We saw a car coming down Sycamore and a bunch of police cars, about 15 police cars and they took a left at the light and a right on Fairfax,” witness Ray Levine said.
Nine minutes later, Levine saw the car again.
“We saw the car coming back up Sycamore with the same amount of police cars following behind them,” he said.
Levine said he was surprised the driver turned around and came back in the same direction.
“We would have thought they would have kept on going the other way, but they turned around and came back up Sycamore Street,” he said.
According to police, the vehicle, a small four-door sedan, had been reported stolen.
The driver headed the wrong way down Crater Road in Petersburg, where the chase ended after the suspect vehicle collided with a Virginia State Police SUV.
The impact left the car wedged against a telephone pole, bringing the pursuit to a halt.
Witnesses captured video of the chase as the vehicle slowly made its way through busy streets.
The 14-year-old driver was apprehended with the help of a K-9 unit.
She was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a dog bite received during the arrest.
A 16-year-old passenger in the vehicle was also taken into custody.
The young driver now faces multiple charges in connection with the pursuit.
In Prince George County, charges are pending, while Hopewell police have charged her with felony assault on a law enforcement officer and felony eluding. She is also wanted for previous auto theft charges in Petersburg.
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