Driver of suspected stolen vehicle flees police, ending in fiery crash on Milwaukee's east side

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- An investigation is underway after four suspects involved in a car theft that led to a multi-vehicle fiery crash fled the scene on Milwaukee's east side Thursday, Dec. 7.

UW-Milwaukee police were notified of a vehicle theft at the Cunningham Parking Lot at Cramer and Hartford around 11:15 a.m. Thursday. Officers located the suspect vehicle and attempted to stop it, but authorities confirmed the driver fled, striking a bicyclist on Oakland Avenue. Officials said they rendered aid to the victim, who they said was not injured.

Police said the suspect vehicle continued to flee and struck a car at Cramer and Linnwood, which was occupied by one person, before crashing into two parked vehicles that all caught on fire. The individual in the car that was struck was not injured. 

"I was taking a nap, as one college student does, and I woke up to like a loud 'boom,'" said Brandon Harbison, a junior at UW-Milwaukee. "The people ran in between my house and then my neighbors."

UWM police said four suspects fled the scene on foot. As of Thursday afternoon, police said no one is in custody.

Josh Delfield is a sophomore at UW-Milwaukee who also lives in the area. He told CBS 58 News his roommate Jack broke the news that his gray Toyota Camry had been destroyed.

"It was the third car on top of the pileup, and I was like, there's no way that's my car right now. This is crazy,'" Delfield said.

Delfield also added he thought it was ironic that the university had just sent out an alert on Thursday morning, right before the incident occurred, warning students of increased car thefts.

"It's tough to see your car just smashed, you know, I'm just like a broke -- a broke college student, you know? Trying to like, you know, get through college, and then you see your car smashed and you're just like, what am I going to do now?" he said.