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WOOD Radio Local News

 

Police: Vehicle thefts lead to three-county chase, fatal crash in Ionia Co.

IONIA COUNTY, Mich. -- Some vehicle thefts from a parking led to a three-county police chase yesterday afternoon in Ionia County and one person ended up dead after a subsequent crash.

Sheriff's deputies say they responded around 4:15 to the Ionia Wal-Mart, and determine that five people from the Lansing area may have driven a stolen vehicle there. Police say they then drove to the Ionia Menards and stole another car before leaving. Later, Clinton County deputies spotted the stolen vehicles and pursued them into Eaton County and then into Ionia County. Police deployed spike strips to stop one of the vehicles.

The other vehicle lost control on Sunfield Highway near Bippley Road, and hit a tree. Police say a woman from Lansing was killed. The other people inside the vehicle were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Below are more details from the Ionia County Sheriff's Office news release:

PRESS RELEASE

On February 11, 2024, at approximately 1617, Ionia County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the Ionia Wal-Mart and subsequently to the Ionia Menards for separate reports of vehicle thefts that occurred in the parking lots. It was later determined that five subjects from the Lansing area had possibly stolen a vehicle from another jurisdiction (unreported at this time), drove that vehicle to the Ionia Wal-Mart, where they had it in the lot and had stolen another vehicle. These subjects then went to the Ionia Menards and stole a second vehicle leaving the area immediately afterward.

An area broadcast was sent to surrounding counties regarding this incident. Shortly thereafter, Clinton County Deputies advised that they had located the stolen vehicles and were in pursuit of the suspects, after they fled from police who attempted to stop them. This pursuit continued through Clinton County and Eaton County until it eventually led back into Ionia County. One of the stolen vehicles was able to be stopped after officers deployed spike strips to disable the vehicle. The other vehicle, a 2020 Kia Forte, was pursued northbound on Sunfield Hwy, near Bippley Rd, where it lost control and left the roadway subsequently striking a tree. As a result of this crash, one female occupant from the Lansing area was pronounced dead at the scene. The other occupants of the vehicle were transported to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing for non-life-threatening injuries.

Names of those involved are being withheld at this time. This incident remains under investigation by the Ionia County Sheriff’s Office, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and the Michigan State Police.

Assisting on scene were Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, Eaton County Sheriff's Office, Michigan State Police, Portland Police Department, Lake Odessa Police Department, Grand Ledge Police Department, Life EMS Ambulance service, Portland Ambulance, Sunfield Fire Department, Reed and Hoppes Towing and Central Dispatch from Ionia, Clinton, and Eaton Counties.

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