A man who was thrown from his car when he crashed while being pursued by Bend police last week has died of his injuries, police reported Friday.

Benjamin R. Watson, 24, of Bend, died at St. Charles Bend on Thursday, according to police.

In a news release, police spokesman Lt. Chris Carney said the department had begun investigating suspected drug sales and the possession of stolen weapons at a home on Northeast Holliday Avenue in late May; Watson’s Honda Civic was seen there on the evening of May 29.

Shortly before 11 p.m. that same day, an officer spotted Watson driving near the intersection of Southeast Brosterhous Road and Southeast Parrell Road. Suspecting Watson was involved in the activities at the home in Northeast Bend, the officer called for assistance and attempted to pull over Watson’s vehicle, according to Carney.

According to Carney: Watson drove off, leading police across the highway and into an unincorporated area on Bend’s south side at speeds of up to 65 mph. Near the intersection of Brookswood Boulevard and Rancho Road, Watson’s vehicle flipped and rolled, ejecting Watson. Investigators have subsequently learned that Watson had amphetamines and methamphetamine in his system and was in possession of a stolen handgun at the time of the crash.

A woman Watson had been speaking with on his cellphone during the pursuit told police that Watson believed there was a warrant out for his arrest, as he had failed to contact his probation officer, according to police.

Carney stated that three days after the crash, officers located the resident of the Holliday Avenue home at the center of their investigation. William Paden Hill, 23, was contacted in a vehicle at the Shopko on Bend’s north side. A search of Hill’s vehicle turned up three handguns, which Hill is not permitted to posses due to a prior felony conviction. The serial numbers had been filed off of two of the handguns, police said.

Later that evening, Bend police and officers with the multi-agency Central Oregon Emergency Response team searched Hill’s home, reportedly locating two sawed-off shotguns, methamphetamine and a restricted knife.

Hill was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine, felon in possession of a restricted weapon, frequenting a place where controlled substances are used and four counts of felon in possession of a firearm. He remained lodged at the Deschutes County Jail on Friday.