Big Bloody: Police Chase Beginning in County Leads to Death in City

An innocent man is dead following a high-speed police chase from the suburbs into the city early this morning.

The victim, 24-year-old Erick C. Russell, died at approximately 12:41 a.m. today when his car was struck at the intersection of North Grand Boulevard and Cass Avenue by a driver in a stolen vehicle.

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According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the chase began late last night in Brentwood when police there attempted to pull over a stolen vehicle. Instead, the suspects fled, refusing to pull over. Brentwood police eventually lost sight of the vehicle, but later police in Charlack located the vehicle and also attempted to pull the suspects over. Again the suspects refused to stop. The Charlack police followed the vehicle into the St. Louis City limits, but eventually lost sight of the vehicle near Interstate 70 and Goodfellow. 

Meanwhile, "Air 1," a police helicopter operated by a St. Louis County officer, continued to track the vehicle by air. At one point the helicopter hovered overhead as the vehicle  stopped at an unknown location to deposit one, possibly two, occupants. (That person/persons have so far not been located.)

The suspect vehicle then sped on with Air 1 watching it from the sky. 
While traveling eastbound on Cass Avenue the suspect vehicle then slammed into Russell's car headed northbound on Grand Boulevard at approximately 12:41 a.m. this morning. Russell was  pronounced dead at the scene.

After the crash, Air 1 saw one person get out of the driver's side of the suspect vehicle and flee on foot. That person was later located hiding in a vacant lot in the 1700 block of Bacon. He was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor cuts and bruises to his face and torso, relative to the crash. He has since been released from the hospital and taken into custody. 

The vehicle that the suspect was driving has since been determined to have been stolen out of Sunset Hills.  If the Circuit Attorney's Office issues warrants against the suspect, his name and mugshot will be released.  The investigation is ongoing.