Stolen vehicle crashes after police pursuit from Upper Darby to Philly: police
The Brief
A police pursuit from Upper Darby Township to Cobbs Creek ended in a car crash early Sunday morning.
Four people were inside the fleeing vehicle which crashed into Shine's Auto and destroyed multiple vehicles.
Police recovered two ghost guns from the vehicle.
UPPER DARBY TWP., Pa. - A police pursuit by Upper Darby Township police officers ended with a crash in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia, sending four people in the fleeing car to the hospital.
What we know
Police say all four people inside the vehicle were evaluated and released, with no serious injuries.
"We didn't hear screeching of tires or anything," said William O'Hara, a neighbor who came outside minutes after the crash. "The fact that everybody walked away is, yeah, it's a miracle."
O'Hara started recording when he saw the aftermath, and in his video, Upper Darby police officers can be heard yelling "Listen to me we're going to get you out. Don't touch any of those guns, you understand me?"
Seconds later, you can hear an officer say "I'm going to have to break this window." The video picks up the sound of police smashing the window open.
Police say one adult was arrested and charged, and two ghost guns were recovered from the vehicle, equipped with switches, which are conversion devices that can attach to handguns and convert them into fully automatic machine guns.
The crash also destroyed five vehicles at Shine's Auto.
What they're saying
"We're just continuing business as usual, like I said this type of thing doesn't happen in the neighborhood, so I don't get it, it's just getting outrageous," an employee told FOX 29.
O'Hara says he has witnessed Upper Darby Police pursuits in this area, but watched police stop if the vehicle was speeding.
"It is like the wild, wild west on this strip, I've seen multiple times where Upper Darby is chasing someone down the hill and they'll fly through that red light, and I see the cop car with its lights off going back up the hill," he said. "I say just don't put yourself in that situation."
Back in April, when speaking with the Upper Darby Township Police Superintendent about a different stolen vehicle investigation, he said they attempt to pull the vehicle over, and if it doesn't stop, they don't pursue it. In this case, it is unclear what police knew about the vehicle before the crash, including whether there were weapons inside.
What's next
Police say the investigation is ongoing, and they will have additional details to release on Monday.
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