Chase ends when pickup truck hits house

BATAVIA, N.Y. (WIVB) - A high speed chase at breathtaking speeds ended when a pickup truck crashed into a house in Batavia Monday afternoon.

This was the scene on South Main Street in Batavia. The driver of a pickup truck was leading police on a high speed chase when he lost control and knifed into the house. This woman was waiting outside for her daughter to come home from school and had to jump out of the way.

Luz Castro said, "It caught my attention because who are they chasing. Then all of a sudden I saw the pickup truck and it was just erratic. It was just going straight and I saw it go straight for the house. I had to move out of the way; I was standing right there."

The chase began on Route 33 near Reed Street when a Genesee County Sheriff's deputy saw the driver speeding. He refused to pull over. Police had to use road spikes to flatten the tires, forcing the driver to lose control.

Genesee County Sheriff's investigator Chris Kautz said, "They don't steer well. You can see the marks on the highway by the rims of the vehicle."

The driver of the truck, 19-year-old Louis Reeb of Corfu, was flown to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester by Mercy Flight. His injuries are not life-threatening. Officers say it's a miracle nobody else was hurt.

"Very lucky I would say. Life is a matter of seconds and inches, ya know, lucky her child wasn't here and getting off the bus at that moment," said Kautz.

Castro says the impact was so loud, it sounded like an explosion.

Castro said, "I was on the phone with my sister and I was like, "Angela, oh my God! Oh my God!" "What is it?!" She could hear the boom."

Charges are pending against the driver once the investigation is over.