Two police cruisers collided before one of the vehicles slid into pedestrians and killed a 4-year-old boy in Allentown, authorities said. Furious residents threw bottles and rocks at police.
Officers were responding to a report of a man with a gun when their cruisers crashed Wednesday night at a downtown intersection. One of the cruisers went out of control, killing the child and injuring an adult male, according to Lt. Daryl Hendricks.
The boy's relatives identified him as Daviay Lagrande.
"First you heard the sirens, then you heard the tires screech, then you heard the bang," said Crystal Spearman, who said she witnessed the accident. "The little boy was laying there, severed in half."
The scene became chaotic as bottles and rocks were thrown at police, Hendricks said. He said several clergy members helped try to maintain order.
State police and Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin were called to investigate the accident.