PAW PAW, Mich. — Four people were sent to the hospital Monday evening after West Michigan police say a group of juveniles robbed a grocery store, led police on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle, and then crashed into another vehicle.
The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office says their investigation began Monday evening around 6:15 p.m. when a 911 caller reported a robbery at the Paw Paw Walmart store.
A person following the suspect vehicle reported the license plate to dispatchers, and the plate came back stolen.
Deputies caught up with the stolen vehicle on Red Arrow Highway near 39th Street in Paw Paw Township.
Despite attempts to pull the car over, the driver refused, kicking off a high-speed chase that continued eastbound on I-94.
Authorities tried to use stop sticks, but the stolen vehicle avoided them.
The chase continued for more than 20 miles on the interstate, reaching speeds of 110 mph at times.
The pursuit ended when the suspect vehicle tried to exit I-94 at the Westnedge exit in Portage.
Authorities said the vehicle ran the red light and collided with another car. The other vehicle immediately caught fire, but responding officers were able to put the fire out.
Several juveniles inside the suspect's vehicle, including the driver, tried to run away from the crash but were apprehended following a short foot chase.
A Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office K9 tracked down one of the juveniles hiding near the crash scene.
Medics took the other driver who was struck to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Three of the juveniles in the suspect vehicle were also taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
The 14-year-old driver received medical treatment and was later taken to the Kalamazoo Juvenile Detention Center on numerous charges.
Additional charges are expected for the other juveniles in the vehicle.
Anyone with information can contact the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office at (269) 657- 3101, Crime Stoppers 1-800-342-7867, Silent Observer (269) 343-2100 or your local Police Department.
Mobile phone users and online users can provide anonymous crime tips to the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office by sending a text Tip Soft message by sending a text message to “CRIMES” (274637) with the keyword VBCTIP from a mobile phone. To submit an online tip, go to www.vbcsheriff.com and select “Contact Us”.
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