MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A police pursuit of a white truck matching a description of a murder suspect’s vehicle ended in a crash Friday morning near the intersection of McLemore and Mississippi Boulevard.
Two people inside the truck were taken into custody, police said. The truck was stolen, police said, and was seen leaving the scene of a shooting Thursday night that left businessman Phil Trenary dead.
The names of the two people arrested after the chase were not released by police as of 10 p.m. Friday. While police confirmed the truck was connected to that crime, they couldn’t say whether those inside were.
“We cannot confirm right now that individuals taken in custody are responsible for the shooting that happened last night on South Front,” MPD spokeswoman Karen Rudolph said.
According to police, they spotted a white Ford F-150 near Watkins in Frayser just before 11 a.m.
Officers tried to pull the driver over, but that individual refused to cooperate and took off southbound towards the Mississippi and Tennessee state line. When the driver got close to that location they turned around and headed northbound again.
At some point during the chase there was a crash at McLemore and Mississippi in South Memphis.
Video from the scene shows a car on fire and surrounded by first responders.
Officers were seen chasing a man in a white T-shirt and handcuffs who ran from the scene after the crash. A badly damaged white truck was also at the scene.
Three cars were involved in the wreck, and four people were taken to hospitals, police said. They were listed in non-critical condition.
At least two of those injured were innocent drivers caught in the crash.
“He couldn’t remember nothing,” said Joyce Gill, mother of one of those victims. “He said, ‘Momma, I don’t know.’ He said, ‘I know I just got hit during a high-speed chase.’”
Police are still investigating.