A man crashes a stolen car into a FedEx truck early Thursday morning, ending a high-speed chase in Colorado Springs.
 / FOX21: Mike Duran
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- A high speed chase ended early Thursday morning in Colorado Springs when the suspect crashed a stolen vehicle into a FedEx truck.
Thirty-five-year-old Lee Lacey, the driver of the car, is facing eight charges, including felony vehiclular eluding and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The Sheriff's Office Crime Reduction Unit was following up on a series of burglaries that night, and the investigation led them to a house in the 1900 block of Dale Street.
"That's where a possible suspect ring was located," Lt. Glen Athey said. "The suspects were said to be involved in counterfeiting, weapons violations and narcotics trafficking."
They believed Lacey was armed, so they waited for him to leave the residence. He drove away in what police thought was a stolen car. Shortly after, police tried to pull him over.
"At that time he accelerated, the deputies engaged in a pursuit which went from Galley onto Powers and into surrounding neighborhoods," Athey said.
Deputies were blocking cross traffic at the intersection of Jetwing and Fountain. That's where Lacey rammed his 4-door sedan into a FedEx truck.
Lacey and his passenger were taken to an area hospital with minor injuries. Lacey was then taken to jail. The driver of the Fedex truck wasn't injured.
Authorities said speeds on Powers topped off at about 90 mph, and at 50 mph in the residential areas.
"We try to avoid that at all costs, but because of the severity of this situation, the potential of having an armed suspect in a stolen vehicle, the pursuit was allowed to continue," Athey said.
Law enforcement agencies weigh a number of factors before they decide to pursue a suspect at high speeds.
"We won't engage in a vehicle pursuit unless there's a serious risk of the person driving the car posing a threat to the community," Sgt. Steve Noblitt of the Colorado Springs Police Department said. "So if they're a dangerous person, if they just committed a crime or are armed with a weapon then we have reason to believe they're going to be a threat to the community. But we take a lot of factors into account, like time of day, amount of traffic, the actions of the driver."
Police said there was another suspect in Lacey's car that night, but that suspect was able to escape on foot.
Lacey is set to appear in court on Friday afternoon.
Neighbors on Dale Street said they see a lot of traffic going in and out of that residence, especially late at night. They say it's gotten worse in recent months.