Driver in stolen car fleeing cops crashes into building causing its collapse, killing 1 injuring 5

New video shows the moment a man in a stolen vehicle fleeing police crashed into another vehicle at a Baltimore intersection last month, causing a building to collapse.

The February 8 crash toppled the abandoned brick building, killing one pedestrian and injuring five other people.

Shawn Lee Brunson, 33, the driver of a stolen 2017 Hyundai Sonata, was arrested and charged with stealing the vehicle in Baltimore on February 7th. The Maryland Office of Attorney General released footage of the shocking crash, which happened the next day, this week.  

The chase began after Baltimore police spotted the stolen car in the area of East North Avenue, and tried to investigate, but the driver took off. 

During the pursuit, the driver hit another car causing both vehicles to collide into the structure. 

Alfred Fincher, 54, a pedestrian who was on the street at the time of the crash was buried under the falling rubble. Five other people, including two in the stolen car, also sustained injuries and were hospitalized. 

The chase began after Baltimore police spotted the stolen car in the area of East North Avenue, and tried to investigate, but the driver took off

Shawn Lee Brunson, 33, the driver of the stolen Hyundai Sonata, was arrested and charged with stealing the vehicle. The Maryland Office of Attorney General released the shocking crash footage on Thursday

The officers – whose names were not disclosed – involved in the pursuit are now under investigation by the Independent Investigations Division of the Office of Attorney General, according to CBS News. 

The office was created in 2021 to investigate all police-involved fatalities in the state of Maryland.

The Independent Investigations Division of the Office of Attorney General division released body-worn camera footage of the police response, as well as surveillance footage of the intersection. 

An officer is told to end their pursuit shortly before the crash happened, the footage reveals. 

The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office will decide whether or not to prosecute the officers involved.

Dayna Waheedah, who knew the victim told DailyMail.com that he was known as a gentleman in the community. 

‘He would collect medals and take them to the scrap yards. If he wasn’t doing that he had the truck there and he would move people in the community. He was a good spirit. 

‘And although he did not have a full-time “job” he was always doing something that’s how he made his living. A friend of mine used to work with him doing odd jobs, cleaning out evictions and basically whatever needed to be done in the community.’

The collapsed building had fire-damage and had been unoccupied for some time. 

Waheedah said that the building that collapsed used to be a restaurant called Northstar.

She added: ‘I’ve lived in this community for 7 and 1/2 years and the building was on the verge of collapsing for the last 15 years it really should have been demolished years ago,’ she said.