Girl steals truck, dies in chase crash

NILES, Mich. (WOOD) - A teenager from Niles died after crashing a stolen pickup truck while trying to elude police during a high-speed chase.

Jazmyne Rodriquez was 15.

At 8:15 a.m. on Sunday the Berrien County Sheriff's Department investigated a stolen vehicle complaint in the 1800 block of Sycamore Street in Niles.

Area agencies were advised of the theft and given a description of the vehicle.

About 15 minutes later, a Niles officer saw the stolen vehicle near Miller Drive and Margaret Street. As the vehicle turned north onto Spansail Drive, the officer confirmed that it was in fact the stolen vehicle.

The officer activated his vehicle's overhead lights and siren in an attempt to stop the vehicle, but the teen continued driving.

The girl disregarded the stop sign at Kathryn Street, police said, and turned east onto Yankee Street and began accelerating.

As a Michigan State Police trooper prepared to deploy stop sticks about a half-mile further up the road, the teen -- driving about 85 miles per hour -- veered to the left across the westbound lane of traffic and the vehicle struck a tree, police said.

The vehicle then rolled and ended on its side about 40 yards away in the 2400 block of Yankee Street.

Rodriguez died as a result of injuries suffered in the accident.