3 dead after car in police pursuit falls 35 feet off Milwaukee bridge and catches fire

3 dead after car in police pursuit falls 35 feet off Milwaukee bridge and catches fire

A car being pursued by Milwaukee police fell 35 feet off a bridge and burst into flames Thursday, killing three people inside the vehicle, police said.

Officers saw the occupants of the Toyota Avalon in a suspected drug deal and tried to stop the car at the intersection of West Mineral and South 22nd streets just before 6 p.m., according to the Milwaukee Police Department.

“But the suspects fled recklessly and a vehicle pursuit was initiated,” the department said in an emailed statement. “After approximately one minute, the suspect vehicle fled across the 16th Street viaduct, crossed the center line and began to exit the roadway.”

The car hit an 18-year-old woman as it crossed the viaduct before crashing through the safety fence and falling off the bridge. It then caught fire on West Canal Street.

“The Milwaukee Fire Department responded and the three occupants of the suspect vehicle were pronounced deceased,” police said.

Milwaukee police officers and firefighters responded to the scene after a car involved in a police pursuit fell 35 feet off a bridge and caught fire. (WTMJ)
Milwaukee police officers and firefighters responded to the scene after a car involved in a police pursuit fell 35 feet off a bridge and caught fire. (WTMJ)

Authorities didn't identify them, but said they "appear to be three adult males."

The 18-year-old pedestrian was taken to a hospital with a minor injury, according to police.

The police department's criminal investigations bureau is continuing to investigate the incident.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com