By Darrell R. Santschi
The Press Enterprise
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Hemet police are still investigating why a car with three women inside led police on a high-speed chase through residential streets early Tuesday, Aug. 21.
Two of those women, including the driver, were killed when the car crashed into a tree in the 100 block of East Whittier Avenue. The were identified Wednesday by the Riverside County coroner’s office as Crystal Gray, 33, the driver, and Shelby Kraft, 21, a rear-seat passenger.
The third woman, whose name has not been released, was critically injured.
An officer stopped the car, police said, because it matched the description of a car used in four separate shootings in Hemet and San Jacinto two days earlier. Witnesses to those incidents identified the shooters as men.
As officers were questioning the occupants, the driver sped off.
“We may never have a reason for it,” Hemet police Lt. Eric Dickson said, “especially since the driver is deceased.”
He said the driver’s motivation for fleeing may not have been related to the shootings, even if the car was used in the shootings.
Dickson said there have been no arrests connected with the shootings.
The chase started shortly after 2 a.m. in the 400 block of South Alessandro Street, where the car was pulled over, and continued several miles, at one point reaching speeds of 100 mph, police said.
Because officers try to be more careful than suspects usually are when crossing intersections, police had fallen behind the car, Dickson said, and were backing off the pursuit before the crash. When officers arrived at the scene, the car was on fire, Dickson said.
Several people stopped Wednesday afternoon at a roadside memorial on Whittier Avenue.
Etched into the trunk of a tree were the words, “Love You Shelby.”
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