NEW ORLEANS — UPDATE: On Tuesday, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office released the names and charges for the five adults arrested on Monday following a cross-parish high-speed pursuit from Chalmette that culminated in a multi-vehicle crash on the edge of the French Quarter on Monday.
A police pursuit that began in St. Bernard Parish concluded in a crash on the edge of the French Quarter near the Central Business District and the Iberville Development Neighborhood on Monday.
According to the SBSO, a stolen gun, and illegal narcotics were recovered during the arrest of five suspects who allegedly attempted to evade deputies during a traffic stop near the corner of West Judge Perez Drive and Old Hickory Drive in Chalmette, La.
Sheriff James Pohlmann said deputies deployed spike strips at the parish line in an effort to stop the vehicle, however the driver of the black Infiniti refused to stop.
The Infiniti eventually collided with another vehicle near Basin and Bienville streets in New Orleans, and crashed into two parked cars.
Once the vehicle came to a stop, the SBSO claimed two adult male occupants fled on foot, but were quickly apprehended. The other three adult occupants, a man and two women, were taken into custody without incident.
A stolen firearm and illegal drugs were found inside the suspects' car.
A local man involved – and injured – in the incident spoke with WWL Louisiana's Eleanor Tabone following the crash.
"We were driving down Basin Street towards Canal and we were actually headed to get prescriptions at the hospital when the three people in a car came across and a huge high rate of speed hit our car, knocked our car into a car parked on the side and that was it," explained Latham, who sustained a leg injury.
"There was like two seconds, then bam!"
Latham said he counted as many as 12 to 15 vehicles from the SBSO and NOPD on the scene, and explained he and his wife had to be dragged from his car as he could not open the doors due to being pinned between two other vehicles.
"We had to climb out through the back seat because our car was squashed between the two cars," he said. "We had to get out through there and the smell of smoke, which was scary."
This is an ongoing story and will be updated once further information becomes available.
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