INDIANAPOLIS — Five people were injured in a crash involving a stolen truck Sunday night in Downtown Indianapolis, police said.
The crash happened around 9:09 p.m. near the intersection of South Street and South Meridian Street when the driver of a stolen 2018 Chevrolet Silverado C350 ran a red light and collided with two vehicles.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department received a report of a stolen truck around 9 p.m. Sunday. Officers spotted the Silverado pulling a camper trailer in the parking lot of a Rally's at Washington Street and Holt Road.
The driver, a 30-year-old man, took off in the truck with a female passenger when an IMPD officer approached.
Police began a pursuit on Holt Road, but ended the chase when the man got on Interstate 70 and drove east in the westbound lanes. He continued driving eastbound and sideswiped at least a couple vehicles before exiting on West Street, where two other vehicles were struck.
Police said the man appeared to be driving around 80 mph on South Street when he ran a red light and struck a 2015 Hyundai that was traveling northbound on Meridian and turning left onto South Street, along with a Lincoln MKX SUV that was driving northbound in the right lane.
The crash caused the trailer to rotate and strike the Hyundai, according to IMPD, while the Lincoln flipped and rolled onto its passenger side.
"It was like an explosion," said Gary Fowlkes, who witnessed the crash. "It was real loud with a big puff of smoke and stuff flying everywhere."
An off-duty officer with the Southport Police Department and his wife were extricated from the Lincoln and transported to an area hospital. Two other people from the Hyundai were hospitalized as a precaution.
The driver of the Silverado and his passenger fled the crash scene and were arrested nearby. The driver will be charged with fleeing causing serious bodily injury, and he is being investigated for driving under the influence.
Police said the passenger was arrested on an unrelated warrant.
South Street was closed between South Meridian and South Pennsylvania Streets for several hours following the crash.
WRTV anchor Marc Mullins and photographer Michael Japowicz contributed to this report.
