CLEVELAND, Ohio – An innocent bystander was killed early Thursday after suspects in a stolen car fled from Euclid police and crashed following a brief chase, authorities said.

Maurice Neil Ford, 54, of Cleveland was struck near St. Clair Avenue and Nottingham Road, according to a report from the office of the Cuyahoga County medical examiner.

Euclid police called the incident “a pointless and preventable tragedy.”

“This senseless loss of precious human life is yet another example of the extreme toll of lawless behavior in an otherwise law-abiding society,” Euclid police said in a statement.

The collision occurred less than a minute after the suspects began fleeing from police around midnight.

Euclid police officers had responded to reports of nearly 30 gunshots fired in Cleveland near

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