Police Claim Friday Night Crash Not A Pursuit

DENVER (CBS4) - The Denver Police Department said a four-car crash Friday night was precipitated by one driver's attempt to elude police but was not the result of a police pursuit.

Four occupants of the fleeing vehicle along with a pedestrian were taken to the hospital following the 5:30 p.m. accident at West Evans Avenue and South Tejon Street. None, however, suffered serious injuries, according to DPD spokesman Tyrone Campbell Saturday.

A witness at the scene told CBS4 that he saw police lights and heard sirens when the crash occurred.

But Campbell said Saturday the department has reviewed the incident and determined a pursuit, while intended, did not happen.

"We were never able to follow them at any point," Campbell said. "Once they observed our officers, there was an attempt to evade and the crash happened. It's my understanding the officers were attempting to make a U-turn when the accident happened."

DPD officers were responding to a report of gunfire in the 2700 blk of W. Evans when officers spotted a car matching the description of the suspect vehicle.

The occupants of that car, Campbell says, spotted officers, too.

"It sounds like we had just started to activate" lights and sirens when the crash occurred, Campbell added.

The four people inside the suspect vehicle all exited the car after the crash and tried to run from police. They were all apprehended.

Charges against the suspects are undetermined at this time, Campbell said. Investigators are looking into the roles of the suspects at both the alleged gunfire incident and the crash.

Anyone with information about either event is asked to call police.