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Inmate Dies In Fiery Car Crash After Escaping From Jail

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GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) - Police in suburban Cleveland say an inmate attacked a guard, escaped from jail and led authorities on a freeway chase that ended in a fiery crash resulting in the inmate's death.

Garfield Heights police say 34-year-old Donnie J. Thomas was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police say no one else was injured in the crash.

Authorities say Thomas was arrested early Friday in a pharmacy robbery and escaped from the Garfield Heights jail after overpowering a guard around 8 a.m. They say Thomas ran into a neighborhood where he broke into a house, took a set of keys and stole a car.

Authorities spotted Thomas and began chasing at speeds over 100 mph. They say Thomas drove over an embankment, hit a concrete barrier and was thrown from the car.

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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