DETROIT (WWJ) - What started as an early morning road rage incident in Utica with reported gunshots resulted in a pair of police chases.
One chase ended along I-94 in Roseville in a stolen police SUV, the other a suspect vehicle that took police through Warren and into Detroit, more than 15 miles away.
The incident started just after 7 a.m. at Hall Road and Van Dyke in Sterling Heights with two vehicles fleeing in opposite directions. Sterling Heights Police Chief Dale Dwojakowski told WWJ that responding officers saw a Dodge Durango with front-end damage pursuing a Ford Fusion with damage to the rear.
But as the Durango driver stopped, the Fusion driver, with three people inside, continued on. The vehicle then slowed in the area of 16 Mile and Schoenner and a man jumped out.
"Our officers slammed on the brakes, put the car into park and then instantly ran on foot, chased him around a couple back yards and then doubled back towards our police car, which was running and jumped in the police car and the guy took off," Dwojakowski said.
Eventually the Sterling Heights Police SUV collided with a Macomb County Sheriff's Patrol vehicle along I-94 and the suspect was apprehended.
Meanwhile, the driver of the Fusion had sped off in another direction.
"Thank God we had local media there with their helicopter, which helped us get one of the suspects into custody," Dwojakoski.
Authorities are still searching for a second suspect that was in the Ford Fusion.
Although a second sheriff's department vehicle was damaged during the chase, no injuries were reported during any of the chaos.
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