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WILKES-BARRE — After leading city police on a brief car chase that ended with a crash, a suspect was pulled out of a vehicle and given CPR on Tuesday night, a witness reported.

Witnesses said a man driving a Mercedes-Benz crossover sped from the Dunkin Donuts on Public Square down South Main Street before a police cruiser tapped the vehicle, causing it to spin out and hit a tree at the intersection of Ross Street and Barnum Place at approximately 8:30 p.m.

Anthony Klem, of Ross Street, saw the crash and the suspect being taken into custody.

“After he spun out, officers ordered the guy out of the vehicle,” Klem told the Times Leader. “Officers realized he was unresponsive and pulled him out of the car from the passenger’s side.

“The cop gave him CPR and saved his life,” he added. “That cop was a hero.”

A reporter saw the suspect dry-heaving on the sidewalk before EMTs got to him.

While in handcuffs, the male was given a neck brace and guided onto a stretcher. He was transported from the scene in an ambulance to an area hospital.

Ten police cruisers along with a fire engine and a city ambulance responded to the scene.

Police take a chase suspect into custody on Ross Street in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday night. The suspect was given CPR by a responding officer after the chase ended with a crash into a tree, a witness told the Times Leader.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Image-33-1.jpeg.optimal.jpegPolice take a chase suspect into custody on Ross Street in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday night. The suspect was given CPR by a responding officer after the chase ended with a crash into a tree, a witness told the Times Leader. Dan Stokes | Times Leader

By Dan Stokes

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Reach Dan Stokes at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @ByDanStokes