Rochester Police are releasing more information about a chase and crash that ended with the death of an elderly man in Brighton on Thursday.
That victim is identified as 92-year-old Thomas Chase of Brighton. He died after his car was struck by a vehicle that police were pursuing after an incident in the city, near Maria and Bernard Streets.
Police Chief David Smith said there were three teenagers in the stolen car that eventually collided with Chase’s car at East Avenue and Elmwood Avenue on Thursday afternoon.
It began at about 3:30 p.m. when officers responded to Maria and Bernard Streets for a ShotSpotter activation indicating that multiple gunshots were detected. When officers got there, they found a crash at the intersection of Clifford Ave. and Maria St. that involved a Kia which police said was previously reported stolen in Irondequoit and had bullet holes in it.
According to RPD, witnesses at the scene described males fleeing the shooting scene in a Kia.
An officer located a 19-year-old suspect, and a foot chase ensued towards Friederich Park. While on Friederich Park, police said that suspect was picked up in a different stolen Kia. They said that Kia then backed up at a high rate of speed toward an officer before taking off.
Police again tried to stop the vehicle on Barons Street. It kept going and a chase lasted about 8 minutes and ended in a crash at East and Elmwood Avenues in Brighton. Police said the suspect’s vehicle was traveling south on East Ave. and struck the car driven by Thomas Chase who was turning west onto Elmwood Ave. He died in the collision.
Chief Smith talked about the emotions involved as he approached Chase’s car at the crash scene.
“And I went over to Mr. Chase’s car,” said Smith. “I’ve been doing this 32 years, I’ve seen a lot of things. Mr. Chase was there, still in his car, covered with a blanket. I said the Lord’s prayer for Mr. Chase, because no one was there with him, no one but us.”
Smith said that despite the fact the trend has been going down for a number of violent crimes in the city, there are still incidents like these that cause a lot of pain for people.
“But despite our best efforts to hold those that bring this evil to our community, in the destruction in our community, accountable…some people continue to wreak havoc again and again until, sadly, someone dies and we find ourselves here, and I’m talking about another death in our community.”
Authorities said there were three teenagers in the stolen car, ranging in age from 17 to 19. They all suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries and were taken to the hospital.
Smith noted that the 17-year-old male driver of the car police were pursuing is currently on parole for burglary. Police said that early in 2023, that teen was arrested for at least a dozen burglaries across the city of Rochester in which he used a stolen vehicle to crash into storefronts and would steal from those stores.
Officials also said in July, the 18-year-old passenger was arrested in a nearby town for charges relating to a stolen vehicle.
The investigation into the crash is being carried out both by Rochester Police and the State Attorney General’s office. Smith said that RPD will handle criminal charges involving the three teens and the AG's office will investigate the pursuit, which is standard procedure in incidents like this. The chief said that after his initial review of what happened, he does not see any violations of RPD's pursuit policy.
Anyone with more information is asked to call Major Crimes at 585-428-7157 or email: MajorCrimes@CityofRochester.gov
Police and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office are still going over potential charges in this case.
