Teen Found Dead In Franklin Quarry After Oak Creek Pursuit: Police

FRANKLIN, WI — The body of a 17-year-old was discovered inside a Franklin quarry on Wednesday, days after he sped off from police into a high-speed chase through Oak Creek and Franklin, according to police.

When the teen eventually stopped his car and ended the pursuit, police said he ran off into a field nearby. An officer followed but had to call off the search because of the dangerous quarry terrain, and the teen's body was discovered days later nearby after concerns arose from his parents, according to police.

The pursuit happened early Saturday morning around 2 a.m. when an Oak Creek officer tried to stop a car near Pennsylvania Avenue and Drexel Avenue, police said. When the pursuit began, one passenger got out and ran before the car sped West on Drexel at up to 102 mph, according to police.

Police lost sight of the car near Drexel Avenue and Ikea Way when it turned into a commercial development, but a short time later officers saw the car enter Franklin on Drexel going around 93 mph, according to the news release. Eventually, police said they used a tire deflation device on the fleeing car near 51st Street and Drexel. The car continued north on 51st Street and then stopped in the 7700 block, according to the news release.

The driver got out of the car and ran west into a field with a Franklin officer pursuing, while the two 18-year-olds who remained inside were arrested on felony charges, police said.

The Franklin officer followed the driver as he trespassed onto the quarry property but called off the search because of the dangerous terrain, so police set up a perimeter and searched with a drone without finding anything, according to the news release.

But by Saturday night, the parents of the 17-year-old driver contacted police worried that he did not return home and had not been in contact, police said. Officers tried to follow up with other friends to locate the missing teen at first, but they were unsuccessful.

Police continued their search efforts with a drone, and by Wednesday around 4:30 p.m., the teen driver was found dead inside the quarry area, police said. An autopsy on the teen was scheduled for Thursday.

Police said they have yet to find the passenger who fled the initial traffic stop, while Franklin police are leading an investigation into what killed the 17-year-old.