2 killed as Greek police chase stolen car carrying migrants

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Two people, one believed to be a migrant and the other the alleged trafficker, died Saturday in northern Greece while trying to evade a police checkpoint, police in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki said.

Twelve more people riding in the passenger car were injured, with the most serious injuries suffered by those stashed in the stolen car’s trunk.

Both dead were Pakistanis, the driver a 27-year-old, police said. The injured included nine Pakistanis and three Afghans.

The car, traveling from Greece’s land border west toward Thessaloniki, was flagged at a police checkpoint earlier Saturday. It sped through, leading police in a 50-kilometer (31-mile) chase until it slammed into a protective barrier.

The 27-year-old driver had already been convicted of human trafficking and robberies, police say.