Syracuse police released Tuesday a video of a teenager’s fatal crash in a stolen car Nov. 30. The department said it was responding to public questions of whether a police vehicle hit the car during a chase.
Zy’Mier Zulueta, 15, died while fleeing from police after officers tried to stop the stolen Kia around 3:25 a.m. The car drove off and eventually crashed into a stone wall.
The minute-long video shows the Kia driving at a high speed down Seymour Street nine seconds into the clip. Several seconds later, the SUV collided head-on with a stone wall. No police cars are in the video frame.
About 14 seconds later, patrol cars can be seen approaching the Kia with their sirens and lights on.
The video release comes a day after community members questioned if there was any contact between the stolen Kia and the pursuing police vehicles, said Lt. Matthew Malinowski, a police spokesperson.
Several people have contacted Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard with similar concerns.
When asked about it Monday, Police Chief Joseph Cecile said police were unaware of any damage to the department’s police cars during the chase. The chief also said patrol vehicles were 13 seconds behind the Kia during the pursuit.
Zulueta was in the stolen Kia when police spotted it around South Salina and West Onondaga streets, Malinowski said. Police said the pursuit ended at Seymour Street and South Wilbur Avenue, just walking distance from Fowler High School.
Following the crash, officers found Zulueta, a sophomore at Fowler, unconscious. Officers tried to administer CPR, but Zulueta was declared dead at the scene, according to Malinowski and dispatchers.
Syracuse.com has reviewed the video but is not publishing it.
The state’s Attorney General’s Office was notified of the death, as required by state law. The office reviews all fatal incidents involving state and local police.
Malinowski said the department traditionally defers questions to the attorney general. But he said the department felt it was important to release the video to address the community’s concern. It did not release any other video of the chase.
“We recognize the loss of any life is tragic, especially when the involved life is a teenager,” Malinowski said. “We are releasing only the immediate responsive video to address the community’s significant concerns.”