EVANSVILLE — Officials released the names of two people who died Tuesday in a crash after the driver of the SUV they were in allegedly fled a traffic stop along a busy stretch of U.S. 41 in Evansville.
The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office identified the two deceased as 24-year-old Haley Crumb and 24-year-old Brent McKinney.
They were pronounced dead at the scene near the intersection of U.S. 41 and St. George Road, according to the coroner’s office.
Evansville Police Department spokesman Sgt. Anthony Aussieker said that just before 3 p.m., officers pulled over an SUV at a Circle K gas station, located at 4101 U.S. 41 near Lynch Road.
“After the initial stop, the driver of the vehicle fled north on U.S. 41 at 3:01 p.m.,” Aussieker wrote in a news release. “Officers then terminated the stop, disengaging their lights and sirens. The lead officer proceeded north on (on U.S. 41) to attempt to monitor the fleeing driver’s actions.”
The EPD has not publicly stated who was behind the wheel of the SUV. Officials have also not disclosed what led to the traffic stop.
After driving north for about one mile, the SUV struck what Aussieker described as a tractor-trailer, which was turning east onto St. George Road from U.S. 41.
“Officers immediately attempted to render aid to the occupants of the fleeing vehicle when the accident was discovered,” Aussieker wrote. “Both occupants of the fleeing vehicle were deceased.”
Police said the driver of the tractor trailer did not report any injuries of their own.
As crash reconstructionists and crime scene technicians combed through the scene on Tuesday, a witness reportedly came forward to say they found a gun near the crash site.
“This firearm was seized as evidence pending further investigation,” Aussieker wrote.
Houston Harwood can be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com.