Bryan Stalder
Contributor
Photos by Larua Birdsong

 A police pursuit of a stolen vehicle ended in a dramatic rollover crash Wednesday morning, sending one person to the hospital and damaging a local building.

The incident began around 9:37 AM near 9th Street and The Paseo. According to the Kansas City Missouri Police Department (KCPD), officers were pursuing a blue Ford Explorer linked to a string of recent property crimes.

The pursuit moved into the Northeast corridor as the suspect vehicle headed westbound on Independence Avenue at high speeds. The chase came to an abrupt end at the intersection of Independence and Indiana Avenues when the driver attempted a high-speed left turn to head southbound.

According to police reports, the Ford Explorer lost traction and went into a slide, striking the curb. The vehicle overturned, hitting a wooden electrical pole. The SUV finally came to a rest after striking the east side of the building located at 3253 Independence Avenue, the former location of La Flor di Chiapas, which is currently vacant

The driver of the stolen Ford was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is currently listed in stable condition. A front-seat passenger also sustained minor injuries but refused medical treatment at the scene.

Despite the high-speed nature of the pursuit, no officers were injured, no uninvolved civilians or bystanders were harmed, the building and the electrical pole sustained only minor damage.

The Accident Investigation Section (AIS) responded to the scene to assist officers from the Central (CPD) and East (EPD) Patrol Divisions, as well as SWAT units.

The investigation into the property crimes and the pursuit remains ongoing.