A harrowing police chase lasting nearly an hour ensued in South Florida on Thursday, ending in gunfire and as many as four people shot dead, according to law enforcement.
The dead included two robbers, a UPS driver whose truck they hijacked and a fourth person in a nearby vehicle, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Coral Gables police said it started with a robbery at Regent Jewelers at 386 Mile. Shots were fired and the two robbers jumped into the UPS truck and sped off, taking the delivery driver with them.
A woman was shot in the head at the jewelry store, Local 10 News reported. Her condition was unknown.
The hijacking “turned into a hostage situation with the UPS driver,” Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak said, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
The UPS truck made its way up Interstate 75 with dozens of police cars on its tail. Traffic came to a standstill as terrified drivers waited for the crazed truck driver to pass.
Once the UPS truck was boxed in, more shots were exchanged between law enforcement and the robbers in Miramar. At least one person from the truck was taken away from the scene in an ambulance and another inside the truck appeared to be wounded.
The UPS driver could be seen sitting in the truck on the floor near the center wheel during live video of the chase.
Miramar police tweeted that the heist ended in “multiple fatalities,” but that no members of law enforcement died.
Update: We can confirm we do NOT have any law enforcement fatalities.
— Miramar Police (@MiramarPD) December 5, 2019
UPS told local media: “We are deeply saddened to learn a UPS service provider was a victim of this senseless act of violence. We extend our condolences to the family and friends of our employee and the other innocent victims involved in this incident.”
A man could be seen attempting to exit the truck on the passenger’s side during the hail of gunfire, but it’s not yet known whether he was a UPS employee or one of the suspects.
