Associated Press
Dec. 29, 2003 09:00 AM
TROUTMAN, N.C. - A car trying to outrun a police officer ran off a road and crashed early Monday, killing all seven young people inside, the state Highway Patrol said.
All of the victims - five males and two females - were believed to be in their teens, Highway Patrol Sgt. Terry Robinson said.
A police officer from Troutman gave chase after seeing the 2001 Dodge Intrepid weaving in its lane, the patrol said.
"They passed us going 85 to 100 miles an hour with the police car passing us," said a witness, Brandon Jackson.
The officer chased the car about five miles on U.S. 21 until it crashed shortly after midnight just south of Statesville, Robinson said. It flipped over after hitting an embankment, crashed into a tree and then skidded to a stop upside down in a creek.
The Highway Patrol said none of the victims was wearing a seat belt. They all were pronounced dead at the scene.
One of the victims was identified as Quentin Maurice Reed, 18, a passenger, officials said. The others were not immediately identified.
The car had been moved by midmorning, but 50-foot skid marks showed where it abruptly veered off the highway. Glass was embedded in the tree's trunk, and car parts were visible around the creek.
"You see these kids driving these fast cars and they have no sense," said Bucky Edwards, who stopped by to survey the damage. "It's so sad."
Worried residents called the Highway Patrol to see if their teens were in the car, dispatcher Ralph Ray said.
"We've had a multitude of people to call who think they may be their family members," Ray said.
Troutman police referred calls seeking further detail to Chief Eric Henderson, who was not immediately available for comment Monday. The town, about 35 miles north of Charlotte, has about 1,600 residents.
One of them was a legal adult.
Very curious statement.