‘Tears my heart up;’ 2 seriously injured after police pursuit ends with head-on crash in Dayton

DAYTON — Two people are in the hospital with serious injuries after a police pursuit ended in a head-on crash Monday.

As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, Dayton police and fire crews responded to N Main Street and Mary Avenue on reports of a crash at approximately 12:13 p.m.

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Emergency Scanner Traffic indicates that firefighters were responding to another call when they saw a high-speed pursuit end in a fiery crash.

A spokesperson from the Dayton Police Department said officers attempted to stop a driver with “heavy” window tint on Valleyview Drive near W. Hillcrest Avenue.

The driver took off at a high rate of speed and officers began a “brief” pursuit. Nearby crews deployed stop sticks, but the driver avoided them.

An aviation unit was also en route to this pursuit, the spokesperson confirmed.

Less than one minute later, the vehicle went left of center and crashed into an oncoming car on N Main Street at Mary Avenue, the spokesperson said.

James Applin told News Center 7′s Malik Patterson that he witnessed the crash.

“(It) tears my heart up,” Applin said.

Both drivers were transported to Miami Valley Hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. No one else was involved in the crash.

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James Applin said cars frequently speed up and down N Main St., but there have been no efforts to stop it.

“Let’s not talk about it. Let’s make it, let’s resolve whatever issues we have in this city. Let’s make them right,” Applin said.

Another neighbor told News Center 7′s Malik Patterson that he wants to go to city hall to express his concerns.

The at-fault driver did not have a driver’s license and drugs were found in the vehicle. On scene, News Center 7 was told the driver would likely face charges.

The Dayton Police Department’s Traffic Services Unit is investigating this crash.

We will continue to follow this story.

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