One dead, another in critical condition after police chase for stolen car ends in crash

One person is dead and another is in critical condition after Gainesville police say a pair of young men attempted to flee in a stolen vehicle and crashed.

The incident began around midnight Tuesday when a Gainesville police officer was on foot patrolling the Sweetwater Square apartment complex, located at 3501 NE 15th St. when the cop spotted a stolen 2015 Chrysler 200 sedan.

The officer then returned to his patrol car to catch up with the vehicle seen leaving the complex.

Once the GPD vehicle was spotted, the driver of the Chrysler fled at a high speed westbound on Northeast 23rd Avenue, according to a GPD press release. GPD discontinued the chase for public safety reasons, the release said.

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A short time later, GPD officers located the stolen vehicle flipped on its side nearby along 1400 NW 23rd Ave. Gainesville Fire Rescue responded and extracted two occupants from inside of the stolen vehicle, where they both were transported to UF Health Shands Hospital.

The driver, a 19-year-old male, was pronounced dead at the hospital. A second passenger, a juvenile male, remains in critical condition. Their names are not being released at this time.

Police say they found two stolen firearms inside the vehicle.

GPD is asking anyone who has information about this incident to call its traffic safety team at 352-393-7744.