CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office deputies rescued two people from a car that crashed and caught fire following a pursuit Friday afternoon.
At about 1:20 p.m., agents with the 19th Judicial District Drug Task Force were conducting surveillance on the car when the driver took off at a high rate of speed, weaving in and out of traffic, and operating the vehicle in a reckless manner, according to an MCSO report.
Deputies tried to conduct a traffic stop for reckless driving, but the driver fled into a residential neighborhood off Greenwood Avenue. About a minute into the chase, the vehicle crashed into a utility pole in the 1000 block of Daniel Street, the report said. The vehicle caught fire and quickly became fully engulfed in flames.
Deputies immediately took action, rescuing both the driver and passenger from the burning vehicle and providing lifesaving measures. The driver had critical injuries and was airlifted to a Nashville-area hospital. The passenger was transported by Emergency Medical Services to Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office are investigating.
“Fleeing from law enforcement and placing innocent motorists and members of our community in danger will not be tolerated,” MCSO Assistant Chief Deputy Elijah Horton said. “Our deputies will take appropriate enforcement action, including pursuing vehicles when justified, while carefully considering the safety of the public, our deputies, and everyone involved.
“Those who choose to evade law enforcement and endanger others will be held accountable to the fullest extent permitted by law. Our responsibility is not only to enforce the law but also to protect and preserve human life,” Horton said.
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