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Stolen car crashes into van in St. Clair Shores

Posted at 11:18 PM, Apr 15, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-15 23:18:45-04

ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. (WXYZ) — A stolen car led to a dangerous crash in St. Clair Shores Friday.

It happened around 6:30 p.m. at the intersection of Eleven Mile Road and Little Mack Avenue.

It’s unclear how many people were injured or their conditions, but witnesses told 7 Action News at least one person was taken away in an ambulance.

As of Friday evening, St. Clair Shores police could only confirm the crash was not fatal.

“I heard police sirens, I didn't think anything else of it though,” witness Gary Winthorp said.

As police rolled up to the intersection of Eleven Mile and Little Mack, a stolen car went through a red light and crashed into a van. It was all captured on surveillance from Marvins Market across the street.

“I hear some car like speeding by, then I hear a loud crash and metal crunching and everything,” Winthrop said.

The car involved was stolen just moments earlier, according to Saralina Smith who says it was stolen from her and two others. She said they had pulled up to a local party store down the road and went inside for a few minutes when it was taken.

“Went in the store, by the time we turned around and came back out, the car was gone,” Smith said. “It's just crazy how fast things happen. You don't expect someone to just hop in your car and take off.”

After calling police, they tried to track down where their car was and just happened to drive past the scene when they saw it smashed up in the intersection.

“So, you didn’t even know your car was involved in an accident until you showed up and saw it," 7 Action News reporter Brett Kast asked.

"Exactly," Smith responded. "They (police) said the car was smashed, but we didn’t know he smashed into somebody.”

Police allowed them to grab some belongings out of the trunk while police continued to clean up the scene. Video shows an innocent driver was badly hit.

“An innocent bystander had nothing to do with this," Smith said. "They’re running from the police like, do you honestly think you can get away from the police? Come on.”