3 killed in crash after police terminate pursuit on Indy’s east side

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana State Police are investigating a crash that killed three people Tuesday night on Indy’s east side.

ISP said that at approximately 9:37 p.m., a state trooper attempted to pull over a Dodge Challenger for reckless driving near E. Washington and Mitthoefer Road. The driver refused to stop, leading to a pursuit that headed east into rural Hancock County.

According to state police, several officers from ISP and other agencies were unable to get into position to deploy stop sticks.

At 9:50 p.m., state troopers made the decision to terminate the pursuit because the suspect was driving aggressively and had turned around to leave the rural, low populated area to head back toward Indianapolis.

ISP dispatchers overheard a radio transmission from the Indianapolis Fire Department about a crash near 10th and Mitthoefer around 9:55 p.m. Due to the recent pursuit, troopers responded to the crash.

Upon arrival, troopers found three people critically injured and two heavily damaged vehicles, including the Challenger involved in the earlier pursuit.

According to ISP, a woman was critically injured and transported to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. There were also three people inside the Challenger, all trapped inside the vehicle. Two of the three were taken to the hospital, where they later died.

The Marion County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as 21-year-old Makayla Hankins; 14-year-old Christian Leyba-Gonzalez; and 32-year-old Jose Gonzalez Jr.

ISP conducted a preliminary investigation of the crash and determined the Challenger failed to stop at a red light. It struck the other vehicle at an extremely high speed, leading to the fatalities.

The driver of the Challenger suffered minor injuries and was arrested on a preliminary charge of resisting law enforcement causing death.

State police identified the driver of the Challenger as 19-year-old Luis Leyba-Gonzalez.

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