Driver who rammed Phoenix police vehicles in 2015 managed to escape

It was Jan. 25, 2015, when two Phoenix police officers spotted a stolen truck near 37th Avenue and Thomas Road.

“They began to pull the vehicle over,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Derek Elmore said.

“And, while waiting for backup to arrive to assist with a safe traffic stop, the driver of the truck suddenly backed up and rammed the officers’ vehicle.”

The driver then took off. Backup units arrived and joined the pursuit of the truck.

“The driver then rammed two more marked cars, sped away and slammed into a tree. The truck burst into flames, but by the time officers could get close to it, the suspect was gone. He was probably hurt.

“The airbag more than likely deployed, then there was the fire and explosion of the vehicle, the collision with the tree and the collisions with the officers,” Elmore said.

The officers are all OK.

Read more about this casehere.

Our next case takes us to a neighborhood near 75th Avenue and Deer Valley Road where a home was burglarized. It happened about lunchtime on Halloween 2014.

A neighbor had a surveillance camera pointing in the home’s direction and it not only got good shots of a man and a woman committing the crime, but also of the silver Dodge 4-by-4 truck they drove.

“It had some damage near the back driver’s side,” Elmore said.

“So that’s going to be one of those distinguishing, unique marks that’s going to make it stand out.”

Elmore said they really loaded that truck with loot.

“We’re talking over $25,000 worth of jewelry, electronics, firearms and even prescription medicine.”

This article originally appeared Feb. 9, 2015