Syracuse, N.Y. — A driver in a stolen minivan fleeing Onondaga County Sheriff Office deputies died early Tuesday morning when the vehicle crashed into a telephone pole in Syracuse.
Around 2:30 a.m., deputies attempted to stop the minivan on Avery Avenue, but the driver failed to stop, according to Thomas Newtown, an Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.
The minivan continued east on West Genesee Street before turning onto Erie Boulevard West, he said.
The driver lost control at a curve in the street and hit a telephone pole near 1008 Erie Boulevard West. The crash happened near a railroad bridge that crosses the street.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene, Newton said. His identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
A woman who was a passenger was ejected from the vehicle, he said. The woman was taken to Upstate University Hospital with minor injuries, Newton said.
Syracuse firefighters were initially unable to get inside the vehicle due to electrical wires downed during the crash, according to dispatches from the Onondaga County 911 Center.
Firefighters needed to wait until a National Grid team arrived and cut power, according to 911 center dispatches. They were given the go-ahead at about 3:25 a.m., roughly an hour after the crash was reported.
On Tuesday morning, the minivan’s car door and pieces of the vehicle could be seen along the street.
The investigation into the pursuit and fatal crash has been turned over to the state Attorney General’s Office, Newton said.
Erie Boulevard, which was closed for nearly eight hours following the crash, has reopened to traffic.
The crash happened near the Onondaga County Board of Elections offices. The offices, which lost power, closed.
The AG’s Office of Special Investigations is conducting a preliminary assessment of the matter. The AG’s office is responsible to review any incidents involving police and a death.
Editor’s note: Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard staff writers Jon Moss and Finn Lincoln contributed to this article.
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