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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A car fleeing Louisiana State Police troopers crashed in New Orleans on Wednesday, killing a 2-year-old girl and a man who were thrown from the vehicle, authorities said. A third man killed himself at the scene.
The chase began after state troopers spotted a car with stolen license plates at a traffic light in downtown New Orleans, Trooper Melissa Matey said. Troopers in multiple vehicles tried to avoid a pursuit by boxing the suspect's vehicle in before activating their patrol unit lights, she said.
"He backed up, went around trooper units and evaded any type of traffic stop."
The resulting chase took troopers down New Orleans' Canal Street, onto Interstate 10 and then onto a highway in eastern New Orleans.
It ended when the car clipped another vehicle, veered off the road and crashed into a fence. The child, who police believe was in the back seat, was not properly restrained, Matey said.
New Orleans police are investigating the suicide, spokesman Aaron Looney said. State police are investigating the pursuit and crash.
"We're going to continue the investigation ... and find out exactly why they were running," Matey said.
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