Jorge Perez Hernandez, 27, of 311 South Lasalle St., was driving a with a revoked license when a Durham police officer spotted him driving erratically on Avondale Drive around 2:15 a.m., Michael said.

The officer attempted to stop Hernandez's vehicle, a Dodge Neon, but it ran a red light and sped off, she said.

Abiding by the department's chase policy, which directs officers to only engage in vehicle chases when the vehicle's occupants are suspected of felony crimes, the officer stopped at the light.

Several minutes later, Michael said, the same officer found the Neon wrecked against a utility pole in the 200 block of West Trinity Avenue. According to Michael, traffic investigators believe the Neon was going too fast "to negotiate the curve" at the traffic circle at Trinity and Glendale avenues.

The Neon struck two traffic signs and sideswiped a utility pole as it slid across the traffic circle. The car was moving sideways when it struck a second utility pole, snapping it in half, Michael said.

Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Two other occupants of the Neon, David Lopez-Jimenez, 23, and Jose De Olguin-Rodriquez, 35, were in stable condition Monday afternoon at Duke University Hospital.

None of the men were wanted by police for outstanding warrants, Michael said. Hernandez had a short criminal history, including being found guilty for hit and run and driving while impaired, according to court records. Officers were looking into the possibility that the crash was alcohol-related, Michael said.