NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A man was killed early Sunday morning in Newport News after he crashed while being pursued by police.
According to a spokesperson for Virginia State Police, this began at around midnight in Chesapeake. The spokesperson said VSP was informed that a police unit of the Chesapeake Police Department was in pursuit of a 2021 Dodge Challenger for failure to stop on a traffic violation.
A spokesperson for Chesapeake Police Department said the pursuit began when one of their officers saw a Dodge Challenger stopped in the middle of the roadway in the 3700 block of Indian River Road. As the officer tried to get behind the vehicle, the driver of the Challenger made an illegal U-turn, then accelerated at a high rate of speed before being briefly slowed down by another traffic stop that Chesapeake Police were conducting along Indian River Road. The driver then accelerated at a high rate of speed and ran a red light at Indian River Road and Campostella Road in Norfolk.
At the time VSP was informed, the two vehicles involved were on Interstate 664 headed through the Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel. The pursuit continued through Suffolk, Newport News and Hampton on I-664 northbound. The suspect then exited onto Interstate 64 westbound, but eventually exited the interstate and drove on city streets through Hampton, Newport News and York County. The suspect then drove back onto Westbound I-64 at a high rate of speed.
The spokesperson said the suspect lost control of the vehicle at Jefferson Avenue and ran off the road to the right, at which point he struck the jersey wall, pushing the vehicle back into traffic across all travel lanes, after which the vehicle ran off the road to the left and struck another jersey wall.
The suspect died as a result. He was identified as 21-year-old Tilek Qualil Alston of Newport News. Alston was the only person in the car.
According to the Chesapeake Police Department spokesperson, the Challenger Alston was driving had been reported as stolen, and the license plate affixed to the vehicle had also been reported as stolen. Liquor bottles, illegal drugs and a firearm were located in the vehicle. Alston's driver's license had also been revoked.
Other records indicate Alston had an extensive criminal history.
Chesapeake police said the pursuit reached speeds of 130 MPH, and lasted 38 minutes.
According to the state police spokesperson, their units did not participate in the pursuit, and only assisted Chesapeake Police by providing the locations of the pursuit to the communications center as CPD pursued the suspect.
She said state police are conducting the crash investigation only, and that any information regarding why the Chesapeake Police engaged in the pursuit, as well as that department's pursuit policies would have to come from them.