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57 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, February 15, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classifieds Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 12, 2005 Emergency personnel tend to crash victims Friday night at the intersection of East Jackson Street and Riverside Avenue after a high-speed accident. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman High-speed chase ends in fatal wreck By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune A high-speed collision along a busy downtown Medford street left one man dead late Friday and three others hospitalized with serious injuries, police said. A white Jeep Cherokee traveling at about 100 mph ran a red light at the intersection of Riverside Avenue and Jackson Street and slammed into the side of a Chevy Blazer occupied by two men. The driver of the Blazer was pronounced dead at the scene, Medford police Lt. Mike Moran said. The Blazer, which at the time was crossing the intersection while headed east on Jackson, came to rest about 150 feet from the spot where the collision occurred. "The white car hit the other one and flipped it," said witness Cameron Fowlkes, 12. "The other car just flew." Advertisement A male passenger in the Blazer and both male occupants of the Cherokee were taken to Medford hospitals with possible life-threatening injuries, Moran said. Names of the men involved in the crash were not made available late Friday by police. The wreck occurred after the driver of the Cherokee eluded a Talent police officer who began pursuing the vehicle when he learned it had been seen speeding toward Medford on South Pacific Highway at about 9:20 p.m., Moran said. The Talent officer was not actively pursuing the vehicle when the crash happened, Moran said. Police were investigating why the Talent officer began pursuing the Cherokee north of Phoenix, at least four miles from the Talent city limits. "The (Talent) police officer saw the vehicle and did not chase it (through Medford)," Moran said. "He was a substantial distance away when the collision occurred." At about 9:20 p.m., the driver of the Cherokee was traveling at a high rate of speed when he passed a Phoenix police officer who was conducting a traffic stop on South Pacific Highway in Phoenix. The driver was "honking and yelling" as he passed the Phoenix officer, Moran said. Moments later, the Talent officer, whose name was not provided by police, saw the Cherokee headed toward Medford. He temporarily lost sight of the Cherokee, but located it a few minutes later near the intersection of Riverside and Barnett Road. Moran said the officer "backed away from the pursuit" when the Cherokee sped eastbound on Riverside, ignoring several red lights. The collision occurred at 9:33 p.m. After striking the Blazer, the Cherokee hit a power pole. Pieces of both vehicles were strewn about the area. Police closed a two-block section of Riverside for several hours while investigating the crash. Oregon State Police are assisting Medford officers in the investigation. Medford firefighters who responded to the crash were able to extricate the three men injured in the collision. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers Advertisement s