Justin Thomas, 32, faces serious charges after a police chase turned deadly in Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday afternoon. He was behind the wheel of a matte black Cadillac when it all went down near South Third Street.
The Memphis Safe Task Force had the car under watch in the 800 block of Red Leaf Lane. Thomas had fled agents during an earlier stop. He also carried an active warrant for a weapons charge. Task force members saw him climb into the driver’s seat with Renisha Thompson as passenger. He started making U-turns to lose them.
Thomas pulled onto West Shelby Drive. Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers moved in for a stop near South Third Street. He refused and sped off. The chase kicked in right away.
It ended just before the West Levi Road intersection. The Cadillac crashed into four vehicles. Thompson was ejected and died at the scene. Thomas suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Two other motorists walked away with minor injuries.
Prosecutors charged Thomas with vehicular manslaughter, possession of controlled substances, speeding, and fleeing law enforcement. This was not his first run-in. In August he was charged after leading a trooper on a chase along Kirby Parkway and Knight Arnold Road.
The whole thing started with surveillance and ended with one person dead and three hurt. Thomas remains hospitalized while the case moves forward. Locals around West Shelby Drive and South Third Street saw the aftermath of another high-speed mess.
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