Syracuse, N.Y. — Three people were arrested and five people injured following a crash when a minivan fleeing police crashed into another vehicle Sunday.
Around 8:55 p.m., Syracuse detectives attempted to stop a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica minivan with three people in the 200 block of Almond Street in relation to a drug investigation, according to a news release from Syracuse police.
The pursuit ended in a crash at Catherine Street and James Street, about half a mile from where the officers first attempted to stop the minivan. The minivan went through a red light and crashed into an another vehicle with two adults.
After the crash, all five people involved in the accident were taken to Upstate University Hospital, said Lt. Matthew Malinowski, a spokesperson for Syracuse police.
The two people in the vehicle hit by the minivan were seriously injured, police said in court documents. The driver Mary Clark, 68, and the passenger Monique Anderson, 51, were in stable condition as of Tuesday, Malinowski said.
The minivan had refused to stop and hit a police vehicle before leading police on the pursuit, police said.
According to the Syracuse Police Department traffic pursuit policy, officers can engage in a traffic pursuit any time there is a felony suspected and if the “possible escape of the fleeing suspect outweighs the danger created by a pursuit.”
Malinowski said the drug investigation was the reason for the pursuit.
After the crash, officers found a total of 20,150 packaged glassine envelopes containing fentanyl, police said.
Police arrested all three people in the minivan, police said. The driver was identified as Gregory Graves, 18. The two passengers were identified as Kearon Edwards, 18, and a 17-year-old female.
Search warrants were executed at Edward’s residence and the vehicle involved in the pursuit, police said. As a result of these searches, police found an additional 800 grams of fentanyl in the car, $2,364 in cash on the suspects and one loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun inside Edwards’ residence, police said.
Graves, of Syracuse, was charged with the following:
- Fourth-degree criminal mischief
- First-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
- Third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
- Seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
- Fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon
- Unlawful fleeing a police officer
- First-degree reckless endangerment
Edwards and the 17-year-old female were charged with the following:
- First-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
- Third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
- Seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
- Fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon
- Criminal possession of a firearm
Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.