Fresno police chase ends in crash, sends three to hospital

A police chase that started with an attempted murder suspect from Los Angeles County ended in a rollover crash at North and Cherry avenues, sending three people to the hospital and pulling an uninvolved minivan into the danger.

The collision happened Tuesday night around 9:45 p.m. as officers were chasing the suspect east on North. A Fresno police vehicle hit the minivan near the intersection, and the minivan rolled over, turning a fast-moving pursuit into a multi-vehicle emergency on one of north Fresno’s busy streets.

All three people in the crash were taken to a hospital. Police did not describe the full extent of their injuries, but the hospital transport underscored how quickly a pursuit can spread harm beyond the original suspect and the officers involved.

Police later said the suspect was apprehended at a nearby gas station. The vehicle struck in the collision was not the one being pursued, a detail that puts the focus on the driver and passenger who were caught in the path of the chase rather than in the crime that sparked it.

The crash also showed how a violent case that began in another county can spill into Fresno in minutes, disrupting traffic, drawing emergency responders, and putting nearby drivers at risk. For residents and commuters near North and Cherry, the night’s events were a reminder that the consequences of a pursuit can land far from the original scene, on ordinary city streets where people are simply trying to get home.