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Police Chase Ends With Car Smashing Into House, Killing 1

BLAINE, Minn. (WCCO) – One person is dead after a police chase ended with a car smashing into a house in Blaine early Friday morning, according to police.

The incident happened at about 2:30 a.m. at a residence on Terrace Road. Authorities responded to the area of 107th Avenue NE and President Drive on a report of a suspicious man looking through car windows. He was then seen getting into a white 4-door SUV and driving away. Police said they tried to pull an SUV over in the area when it took off down the street. The vehicle made it just a few blocks before plowing into the front of a house on the 10400 block of Terrace Road.

GALLERY: Car Crashes Into Home

"We can't even call it a chase," said Mike Lapham, a detective with the Anoka County Sheriff's Office. "The police hadn't even got turned behind the vehicle when it accelerated away, they lost sight of it. They didn't see the vehicle until they saw the big plume of smoke of dust and debris from the house."

SUV Smashes Into Blaine House
(credit: CBS)

Anoka County Sheriff's detective Mike Lapham says the suspect, 31-year-old Matthew Joseph Gray, was killed.

"The whole front of the house is taken away. The vehicle is about a third of the way in having hit the home at a 90 degree angle, slicing the house wide open," said Lapham.

Jeff Salmi and his wife were fast asleep in the second floor master bedroom when Jeff says he awoke suddenly.

"I thought the house was on fire at first. I ran and looked down the stairs and there is a vehicle right at the base of the stairs," said Salmi.

The stun from the surreal sight of a car in his home quickly gave way to the realization that danger was imminent.

"Sheet rock and glass windows everywhere scattered about. But I could smell the gas, I could hear the gas shooting in the house. The hiss was really loud," he said.

Salmi's only escape route was blocked but police were telling them to get out of the house, quickly.

"The police were there screaming, 'Gas leak! Get out!' so my wife and I went out a back window and had to jump," he said.

Officers helped the couple by catching them as they jumped from the second floor widows.

Blaine SUV Smashes Into House
(credit: CBS)

Jeff and Ilene will build again they're just happy to be alive.

"I'm feeling pretty lucky, we can always rebuild," he said

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