Bay Area traffic stop of suspected stolen car leads to fiery crash, death

For the second time in the past week, a suspect has died in a collision following a failed traffic stop and pursuit initiated by the Vallejo Police Department, marking the fourth traffic fatality within the city this year.

Vallejo Police Department Public Information Officer, Sgt. Rashad Hollis said patrol officers initiated the traffic stop just before 11 p.m. Monday on Couch Street near Mississippi Street after a license plate check of the 2014 white Dodge Durango revealed it had been reported stolen by the San Francisco Police Department.

Reinforcements were called in to assist with a felony traffic stop, which was initiated as the vehicle reached the intersection of Couch Street and Redwood Street. At that time, Hollis said the driver – who was the sole occupant of the vehicle – refused to comply and led officers on a short pursuit before losing control of the vehicle and colliding with a fence, a structure and a tree at the intersection of Broadway and Alabama streets.