FRESNO, Calif. (KMPH) -
A wanted parolee forces Fresno police to open fire after he leads them on a wild ride through the streets of Fresno, and a crash.
The high-speed chase ended at Clinton and Orchard in Southeast Fresno with the wanted parolee behind the wheel - dead.
Fresno police and firefighters attempted to give the 27-year-old man CPR and quickly rushed him to the hospital after he was shot by an officer.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says, "As the vehicle was accelerating and trying to get away there was concern for the public and the safety of the officers that were trying to remove him from the vehicle and an officer fired one round."
Chief Dyer says it all began just before 6 o'clock Tuesday night, when officers spotted the stolen truck near the corner of First and Belmont avenues.
They tried to pull it over, but the driver of the truck wouldn't stop.
The truck then got on the 180 and then headed north on the 41 freeway.
The driver got off the freeway and out of fear of a crash officers stopped the pursuit.
But the truck kept going at speeds nearly 70 miles an hour and slammed into a two door Saturn with two ladies inside, near the corner of Orchard and Clinton avenues.
Martha Zamudio says, "Suddenly I saw the impact of the truck hitting the car and it was loud."
Roxanne Pineda says, "He blew right into the white car and he really hurt those people in the car."
Inside the car a 61-year-old who was able to walk away, but her 43-year-old daughter was hurt. She was rushed to the hospital, but her condition is not known.
Despite slamming into a pole the driver of the truck still tried to get away.
He attempted to run over an officer forcing police to shoot near Radio Park full of people.
But Chief Dyer says, "The direction in which the officer fired was not in the direction of the park there was controlled fire by the officer one round, 4 to 5 feet of the suspect."
The 27-year-old died at the hospital.
Officers later found a stun gun and a methamphetamine pipe in his pocket.
A toxicology test will be conducted as part of the autopsy.
The officer who fired the shot has been placed on paid administrative leave until the investigation is over.
