Police Release Footage Of High Speed Chase That Ended In 18 Year Old Driver Getting Killed When He Struck A Post

An 18-year-old driver was killed overnight when he fled Royal Oak police at high speeds and crashed violently into a pole, according to officials.

Madison Heights police officers said they started pursuing a car around 1:45 a.m. Wednesday (March 17). They terminated the pursuit at the border of Royal Oak, near 11 Mile and John R roads.

Royal Oak officers saw the car, which had no license plate, heading west on 11 Mile Road near Stephenson Highway, according to authorities. When they tried to stop the car, the driver sped off at a high speed, officials said.

Police pursued the car west on 11 Mile Road, reaching speeds over 90 mph, authorities said. The car turned south on Woodward Avenue and continued to flee, police said.

The driver lost control of the car at South Washington Avenue and crashed sideways into a light pole, dash cam video shows. No other cars were involved in the crash.

Officers called Royal Oak firefighters, who used the jaws of life to free the man from the wreckage.

The driver, identified as Souhib Zokari, 18, was taken to William Beaumont Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to authorities.

Deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and Royal Oak officials are investigating the crash.