COVINGTON, La. -- State police say two suspects in the robbery of a Covington fast-food restaurant died when their car, which was being chased by sheriff's deputies, ran off the road and struck several trees.
"We got a call around 7:30 that an armed robbery was in progress," Covington police chief Richard Palmisano said on Thursday.
Two men, armed with semiautomatic handguns robbed the restaurant. The exact amount of money taken was undetermined on Thursday, but Palmisano said it was about $2,000.
The pair fled, followed closely first by city police and then by sheriff's deputies, Palmisano said.
"A witness was able to get a description of the car and remembered the license plate number," he said. "We were able to broadcast that to law enforcement agencies in the area."
Troopers say the accident occurred Wednesday night on U.S. Highway 190 -- a two-lane highway that is fairly heavily traveled -- west of Covington in Tangipahoa Parish.
The car traveled at speeds of 100 to 120 miles an hour, Palmisano said.
Trooper Melissa Matey said St. Tammany Parish sheriff's deputies were pursuing the car at the time of the crash.
Matey said the suspect's car struck the rear of another car before running of the road and hitting the trees. She said there were no injuries in the second car.
"From what we could tell one victim was ejected from the car and the other had to be cut from the car," Palmisano said.
State police identified the driver of the vehicle as Frank Beard Jr., 21, of Hammond, and the passenger was Ronald Hasaan Darenseurg Jr., 20, of LaPlace.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
