PETERSBURG, Va. — A woman was killed and a man was injured after a driver in a stolen truck crashed into their car during a high-speed police chase on March 15.
It all started around 10:15 p.m. when police tried to a stop a stolen Chevrolet Silverado in the area of Iron Bridge Road and Lewis Road in Chesterfield. Officers were told there were also guns inside the truck.
The driver of the truck did not stop, even after police deployed stop sticks to try and disable it.
Police said the stop sticks damaged some of the truck's tires, but the driver continued to flee east on Route 10 and then south on Route 1 at a high rate of speed. The truck swerved into oncoming traffic and disregarded multiple traffic signals during the chase.
The chase continued through Colonial Heights into Petersburg, where the truck ran through a red light at the intersection of Washington Street and Adams Street.
It was at that intersection where Virginia State Police said the truck crashed into the passenger side of a Mercury Grand Marquis with two people inside.
The driver of the Mercury, 28-year-old Oterrius Demarcous Taylor of Petersburg, was transported to the hospital for treatment of serious, but not life-threatening, injuries. State Police said he was not wearing a seatbelt.
Taylor's passenger, 28-year-old Denasia Shaquelle Gray of Petersburg, was taken to the hospital where she later died as a result of her injuries. State Police said Gray was wearing a seatbelt.
The driver of the stolen truck was identified as 38-year-old Michael Kenneth Dawson of Hopewell. Chesterfield Police said he was arrested at the scene of the crash.
In addition to being wanted on a felony capias, Dawson was charged with felony eluding, possession of a stolen vehicle, driving under the influence, reckless driving, driving with a revoked license and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Dawson is being held at Riverside Regional Jail.
This crash remains under investigation, with the assistance of the Virginia State Police Richmond Division Crash Reconstruction Team.
