Two teenagers fled police after they were seen breaking into a
storage unit, but ended up in the hospital with significant
injuries when their vehicle crashed into a house, police said.
Two teenagers fled police after they were seen breaking into a storage unit, but ended up in the hospital with significant injuries when their vehicle crashed into a house, police said.
Morgan Hill police responded to a commercial burglary in progress about 11:20 p.m. Friday at DePaul Medical Center, 18550 DePaul Drive.
A security officer at the property reported several subjects breaking into portable buildings on the northwest side of the property, Morgan Hill Police Sgt. Jerry Neumayer said.
When officers arrived, the suspected burglars retreated to a 1999 Chrysler Sebring and drove off, he said.
Police caught up with the vehicle – traveling eastbound on Cochrane Road – and attempted to pull it over. The driver would not continued at high speeds, reaching 90 mph when it turned onto Main Avenue, in an attempt to evade police, Neumayer said.
Traveling west, the driver of the vehicle lost control as it approached the intersection of Main Avenue and Butterfield Boulevard, Neumayer said. The car crashed into a concrete center divider and flew through the air about 90 feet and into a city light pole. The impact sheared the utility pole off at the base. The vehicle continued west uncontrollably along the sidewalk and crashed into an occupied home on East Main Avenue.
Police, who remained close behind the Sebring when it crashed, surrounded the vehicle, Neumayer said. Due to extensive injuries of the two occupants, the teens were unable to exit the demolished car on their own.
Paramedics were called to the scene, and officers had to rescue the teens as leaking fluids from the crashed vehicle caused the car to catch fire, Neumayer said.
Both suspects were pulled from the vehicle as EMS personnel arrived and firefighters put out the fire.
The 18-year-old driver, Dylan Campos of Gilroy, suffered a fractured pelvis, a dislocated right hip, a fractured right leg and a fractured jaw, Neumayer said. The 17-year-old male passenger, also from Gilroy, suffered a fractured right leg. Both teens were transported to San Jose Regional Medical Center.
The juvenile was treated and released to his parents, with criminal charges pending, Neumayer said. Campos was admitted to intensive care and will be charged with burglary, felony evasion of a police officer and DUI.
Police later determined the teens forced entry into the storage unit to steal alcoholic beverages, Neumayer said. The property inside the unit was owned by the Knights of Columbus, and Neumayer said the suspects likely knew beforehand what was inside.
More juvenile suspects were involved in the alleged burglary, and their identities and the incident are still under investigation, police said.
The residents of the damaged home were evacuated and uninjured. Police do not yet know how much damage was done to the home.
Anyone with more information about the incident can call Morgan Hill Police at 779-2101 or the anonymous tip line at 947-7867.
