WASHINGTON (AP) - Authorities say a vehicle that crashed and caught fire while fleeing police in Washington, D.C. had been stolen from a movie shoot near the U.S. Capitol.
The Washington Post reports a police report says the owner was loading items into the back of the SUV when a man jumped inside and drove off Thursday.
U.S. Park Police spokesman Sgt. James Dingeldein says the vehicle was spotted and a police pursuit ensued, but supervisors ordered it stopped. Moments later, the GMC Yukon was seen striking a vehicle and was on fire.
A bystander tried to help the man as he got out of the Yukon, but he hit that person and fled. Thirty-six-year-old Dustin W. Smith, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was charged with offenses that include auto theft. It’s unclear if he has a lawyer.
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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com
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