FERNDALE, Mich. (WXYZ) — A man has been arrested after evading police and crashing into a vehicle with four elderly people inside.
On Feb. 14 around 9:15 p.m., a Ferndale police officer was on patrol in the city of Ferndale on westbound 8 Mile near West End when he saw a 2019 black Nissan Pathfinder speeding along westbound on 8 Mile.
The officer paced the vehicle and determined it was going at 70 miles per hour in a 40 mile an hour zone.
As the officer tuned on his emergency lights to stop the vehicle, the driver initially appeared to be pulling over and even turned on the vehicle’s four-way emergency flashers, according to the Ferndale Police Department.
The 26-year-old male driver with an address in Florida, did not stop and he sped away from the officer.
Police say the actual pursuit lasted less than one minute and traveled about one mile on 8 Mile – from Livernois to the location of the crash at 8 Mile and Wyoming in the Charter Township of Royal Oak.
The driver of the fleeing vehicle ran from the crash scene but was quickly arrested by an MSP trooper a short distance away.
The passenger in the fleeing vehicle, a 26-year-old female from Iowa, suffered serious injuries in the crash and was taken to Sinai Grace Hospital in Detroit by Detroit EMS. She is in serious but stable condition, police say.
The vehicle that was struck by the fleeing Nissan was occupied by three elderly occupants who were all injured.
The driver and back-seat passenger were taken to Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield, where they have been listed in temporary serious but stable condition. The front seat passenger was also transported to Ascension Providence Hospital and her condition is serious and unstable.
According to the court records, the suspect, Harris Howard, was arraigned Saturday at the 43rd District Court. He was charged with second degree flee and elude.
Howard's bond was set at $250,000 cash or surety. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 2, 2020.
