Suspect killed after crashing stolen vehicle in Haverhill

HAVERHILL, Mass. (WHDH) -- A man was killed after he crashed a stolen van into a tree in Haverhill Monday morning.

Police said the driver lost control and slammed into a tree after they chased the suspect up North Avenue.

Just after 9 a.m. Monday, police in Plaistow, New Hampshire called Haverhill police to inform them of a suspect in a stolen Honda minivan.

The minivan was spotted an hour later in Haverhill and when police tried to pull the van over, it sped off.

The minivan proceeded to speed down North Avenue, hitting another car and a pedestrian walking his dog. The minivan then crashed into a large tree, killing the suspect.

Neighbors said it was a frightening scene.

“So I ran immediately outside and saw a car smash into the tree. And then I saw the red minivan all the way down there. They had to back up, and I saw someone laying in the road,” said Kristina Perella, a neighbor.

“I was at work and I received a phone call from my daughter. She was home between classes and basically was hysterical and I didn’t know what was going on, so I rushed right home. And then I just came to find the two cars in front of the house and by then the bodies were already gone,” said Cindy Perella, a neighbor.

The pedestrian who was struck was in serious condition at the hospital Monday night.

“He had a gash over his eye, and he was bleeding from his arm and we could see a bone. And his pants had gotten blown open,” said David Hall, a neighbor. “He did not remember what happened. He said, ‘Can you get my dog?’”

The dog was unharmed and is now with animal control.

The driver of the other car was treated and released.

The district attorney’s office has not identified the suspect, but said the crash remains under investigation.