2 killed in crash with stolen police cruiser in Dayton

Two people were killed when a suspect driving a stolen police cruiser crashed into two vehicles near a Dayton library Monday night, officials said. Several others were injured.

An official with the Montgomery County coroner’s office said two deaths fatalities were associated with the crash, which happened around 7:20 p.m., but would not give any other details.

Dayton police Lt. Col. Eric Henderson previously told reporters at the scene that 11 people, including seven children, had been taken to local hospitals, and that three of the injuries were considered life-threatening.

The suspect, who was taken to a hospital with injuries, was said to be communicating with officials at that time, he said.

“Obviously, this is a tragic incident that occurred in a very short time frame,” Henderson told local media.

Police were called to a report of a stabbing in Dayton at 7:10 p.m., and when they arrived, made contact with the victim but the suspect had fled, police said.

A short time later, police in neighboring Riverside were investigating a single-vehicle crash in which the vehicle hit a tree and left the scene. The driver then fled in a stolen Riverside police vehicle, Henderson said.

Around 12 minutes after the stabbing call, the stolen cruiser crashed into at least two occupied vehicles and several parked cars near the Dayton library.

Video from the scene by NBC affiliate WDTN of Dayton showed a heavily damaged police vehicle with the front and rear smashed in.

Riverside police said that the driver of the stolen cruiser fled at a high speed and was involved in the crash around three minutes later.

Another Riverside police vehicle responding to the first accident call was struck and disabled. Two of its officers suffered what were described as minor injuries and were going to be examined at a local hospital, Riverside police Major Matthew Sturgeon said.

Another briefing on the situation is expected Tuesday.

Riverside is a city of around 25,200 east of Dayton