By Sharon Turco and Gregory Korte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Site of the fatal crash. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

A 15-year-old in a car fleeing Cincinnati police was killed Friday after the vehicle went over a steep drop of several hundred feet and landed upside-down, nearly hitting a South Fairmount house, police said.

David Whitehead, of Corryville, was killed and his two cousins suffered injuries in the crash between 12:30 a.m. and 1 a.m.

Police said they found a .22-caliber pistol in the car, and a bullet in Whitehead's pocket. Police are looking for a fourth passenger who may have fled the scene. It remains unclear who was driving.

Police Chief Tom Streicher said the officer in the chase - Eric Gilbert - handled the pursuit "in almost a textbook-perfect manner."

The chase began about 12:36 a.m., when the officer spotted a green Toyota Corolla being driven recklessly at Beekman and Hopple streets and tried to pull it over.

Instead of stopping, the driver fled down Fairmount Avenue at about 45 mph.

The chase wound through side streets. As it approached St. Clair Heights Park, the driver smashed through the park's barricades, hubcaps spinning off the car.

The officer stopped at the barricades, because the chase had become too dangerous, Streicher said.

The Toyota continued through the park and into the woods, parallel to a steep stairwell. The car flew off a sharp drop-off and landed on its roof right next to a house at 1551 Fairmount Ave.

Streicher said the car flipped with such force that a boombox-style radio in the car ended up on the roof of the house.

David Whitehead was found dead in the car.

Terah Whitehead, 22, of Mount Auburn, fled from the scene, but was caught quickly, police said. He was treated for minor injuries at University Hospital and released.

Bryant Keese, 17, of Clifton Heights, was thrown from the car and is being treated at Children's Hospital Medical Center. He was in good condition Friday.

No one in the house was hurt, police said.

Police released a cruiser video showing that during the chase the officer stopped at stop signs and followed at a safe distance.

"He did an exceptional job here," Streicher said of Gilbert, a rookie who is two weeks shy of completing his probation. "That's just good police judgment."

Streicher said Cincinnati's policy on vehicle pursuits is more stringent than state law, with officers required to call off the chase if it poses a likely danger to other motorists or pedestrians.

Because the chase took place on side streets late at night, the officer made the right call, Streicher said. He said the pursuit had ended by the time the crash happened.

"If you notice the conduct of the officer involved in the pursuit, he makes a concerted effort to safely drive the car," the chief said as he showed reporters a video of the chase taken from a cruiser-mounted camera.

"He stops at all stop signs, he goes a reasonable speed, he keeps a safe distance. And so he's creating no additional risk."

Shawna Fields had said good-bye to David Whitehead, her cousin, just before he left her house about 11:30 p.m. ThursdayShe said she cautioned him that it was late and perhaps he should stay overnight at her Mount Auburn home, where he was visiting.

He was in the back seat of the car when the boys left, Fields said.

She spoke lovingly of her cousin Friday. He had just finished eighth gradeat South Avondale Elementary School and was looking forward to high school and getting a car.

"He wanted a car so bad," said Fields, who is also related to the others injured in the crash. She said David had an interview Sunday to work at Paramount's Kings Island to earn money to buy a car.

She said the pistoldoes not belong to David Whitehead.

"He's never been in trouble before," Fields said. " I know it wasn't his."

E-mail sturco@enquirer.com and gkorte@enquirer.com