Police investigating crash, shooting near 7th Street and Baseline

PHOENIX — Phoenix police are investigating a crash and shooting that left one person seriously injured Tuesday morning.

Officers first received calls about a vehicle driving dangerously around 2:30 a.m. Officers made contact with the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver reportedly fired a gun at the responding officers.

The driver later crashed the car around 7th Street and Baseline Road, hitting a fire hydrant and another vehicle, which caused the suspect vehicle to catch fire. It's not known what caused the crash.

Officers gave commands for the suspect driver to get out of the car, and officers discovered he was suffering from a gunshot wound.

“We received calls about a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed on Southern Avenue,” said Sergeant Vincent Cole.

Phoenix police located the car and tried to make a traffic stop near 20th Street and Southern Avenue.

“The driver of that vehicle fired several rounds at the officer and additional officers began pursuing it eastbound,” added Sgt. Cole.

Then a few blocks away, at 25th Street and Southern Avenue, more shots were fired.

“I heard four or five detonations, and a minute later…another four or five detonations,” he added.

A man, who doesn’t want to be identified, tells ABC15, that he woke up to the sound of shots being fired and froze in his room.

“I didn’t know if they were detonations or gunshots,” he said, in Spanish.

The Phoenix Police Department says they’re now trying to determine if the driver shot himself, emphasizing that the officers involved never fired their weapons.

“There were no other injuries to any community members and there’s no evidence to show that Phoenix Police officers fired any rounds,” Sgt. Cole added.

The driver was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

He is expected to be okay.

Stay with ABC15 for updates on this developing story.