KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) — Michigan State Police say a trooper followed pursuit protocol when he followed a speeding driver who eventually crashed in Kentwood, killing a teenager and a Calvin College student.
In a news conference Monday, Lt. Chris McIntire said Trooper Chris Bommarito of the Rockford Post spotted the suspect going 90 mph in a 70 mph zone and tried to pull him over Saturday night. McIntire said they both exited at 54th Street and the driver stopped for about 15 seconds before taking off.
The chase spanned five miles and lasted about six minutes before the suspect’s car crashed into another vehicle driven by Tara Oskam.
Oskam, 21, was heading home from a church euchre tournament, according to her boyfriend. He told 24 Hour News 8 she was on the phone with her roommate when the crash happened at Broadmoor Avenue and 52nd Street.
The passenger in the suspect’s vehicle, 15-year-old David Torrez, was also killed in the fiery crash.
McIntire said the trooper and a Kentwood police officer pulled the suspect to safety as the flames spread. The suspect was seriously injured in the crash but last listed in stable condition, according to police.
Relatives identified the driver of the suspect vehicle as the passenger’s cousin, 17-year-old Alex Torrez. However, MSP will not name the suspect until he is arraigned.
State records show Alex Torrez did not have a valid driver’s license. In the approximate year he was eligible for a license, he was caught three times with an invalid or improper license, according to records.