Suspect dead, deputy hospitalized after chase and crash in Tulare County, authorities say

PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KFSN) -- Debris and destruction are all that's left after the pursuit of a stolen car led to a deadly crash in Porterville overnight on Sunday, killing a 17-year-old suspect and injuring his 15-year-old passenger, along with a Tulare County sheriff's deputy.

The sheriff's office says license plate readers first spotted the stolen car near Lewis Hill just before midnight.

"The deputy engages the stolen vehicle, notices two people inside the stolen vehicle, initiates a traffic stop with lights and siren, but the vehicle takes off very quickly and then quickly is entering the city limits," Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux explained.

Porterville Police took over the pursuit, but deputies stayed nearby. One deputy was flagged down by a neighbor who spotted a suspicious car near Wilson and Mulberry - about three miles from where the suspects were first spotted.

The deputy identified this car as the stolen vehicle.

"He activates his lights, comes head-to-head with the vehicle. When they do, the suspects in the stolen car ram our deputy's car," Sheriff Boudreaux said.

That deputy wasn't hurt, but the suspects sped off, racing toward the intersection at Prospect and Westfield.

"The suspect vehicle is actually flying at a high rate of speed, blacked out - no lights, everything turned off. He's flying down the road," the sheriff explained.

Video from the Tulare County Sheriff's Office shows the moments before impact -- the arrow showing the deputy entered the intersection on Prospect with a green light.

"As we get into the intersection, he comes across and hits and pushes them over to the side," the sheriff mapped out.

The car and the deputy's vehicle spun into a nearby home, catching the stolen car and part of the house on fire.

Flames lit up the night sky in a video sent by ABC30 Insider Nick Alvarado.

"No one in the house was injured, but there is structural damage to the house itself," Porterville Sgt. Enrique Lara said.

The sheriff's office says the 17-year-old driver died at the scene.

The 15-year-old passenger is in critical condition.

The deputy who was struck is in the hospital and expected to be okay.

It's not yet known if drugs or alcohol were involved.

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