The York County Sheriff says two people and one of their K9 unit dogs were killed after a high-speed pursuit involving a stolen cruiser late Tuesday night.
KLIN News has learned that a deputy tried to stop a truck for driving erratically around 11:00 p.m. That led to a pursuit at speeds in excess of 100 mph. The sheriff’s office says the truck eventually came to a stop and the suspect got out claiming to have a gun. He also told deputies he wanted to die.
Investigators say the suspect then walked toward deputies and was able to gain control of a marked K9 vehicle and took off. A second chase ensued throughout York County and into the city of York. Investigators say the stolen patrol vehicle stopped on some railroad tracks and the driver got out as a train was approaching.
The sheriff’s department says the driver got back in and took off again. A short time later, the driver drove back toward the tracks and struck the back of a vehicle that was waiting for the train. The stolen K9 unit then pushed the vehicle into the train. Investigators say the suspect, other driver and the police dog were killed instantly.
Late Wednesday afternoon the sheriff’s department released the names of the two people who were killed. The man driving the stolen vehicle was 43 year old Joseph Stoltenberg. The innocent driver is identified as 31 year old Kyle Ediger, a Hampton Public Schools math teacher for the past several years.