Stolen vehicle bursts into flames, explodes as teen driver flees cops, NC police say
A stolen vehicle driven by a 15-year-old caught fire and exploded following a chase in North Carolina, police said.
Around 9:10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, officers tried to stop the vehicle at South 5th Avenue and Meares Street in Wilmington, according to a news release from the Wilmington Police Department. But police said the driver kept going and a chase ensued for a “short time at low speeds.”
Officers stopped chasing the vehicle near the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge as the driver sped up, police said.
The driver then veered into the wrong lane, striking a median, police said. Officers continued following the vehicle and saw it collide with two other vehicles, causing one to flip.
Police said the driver also slammed into a block wall in front of a home before getting out of the car and trying to run away. The 15-year-old was “quickly apprehended.”
The stolen vehicle then “burst into flames,” police said. As officers tried to put out the blaze, a small explosion caused a piece of the vehicle to hit an officer in the face. Police said he had non-life-threatening injuries.
Officers also pulled the driver from the vehicle that flipped, police said. He also had non-life-threatening injuries.
The 15-year-old suspect, who was not publicly identified, was arrested and charged with “motor vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, felony flee to elude, felony hit and run, possession schedule VI, red light violation and damage to real property, among other charges,” police said.
No other information was released as of Monday, Dec. 20.
Wilmington is in southeastern North Carolina, about 130 miles from Raleigh.
