Hit-and-run driver causes 14 accidents

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ An Oklahoma City woman driving from a hit-and-run accident led police on a 50-minute chase across the city, causing at least 13 more accidents as she fled. <br/><br/>The woman, who

Saturday, October 1st 2005, 1:13 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ An Oklahoma City woman driving from a hit-and-run accident led police on a 50-minute chase across the city, causing at least 13 more accidents as she fled.

The woman, who was later arrested, struck one vehicle repeatedly on Friday morning to get it out of her way and backed into a police car, police Capt. Jeffrey Becker said.

The woman's name was not released. No injuries were reported, he said.

About 8:30 a.m., the chase began when the womans sport utility vehicle struck another vehicle near a highway, Becker said. She then drove off, he said.

The chase continued_ even as the woman crashed into other motorists, dodged stop sticks and wobbled along with a shredded right front tire_ until police forced her off the road about 9:20 a.m.

After the first incident, the woman headed west and ``got into three more minor accidents along I-240,'' Becker said.

He said other drivers attempted to stop her, but ``she rammed one of the vehicles about four times'' and sped north onto Interstate 44.

Officers succeeded in pulling her over on the Lake Hefner Parkway, but ``somehow the lady put her SUV in reverse and backed into the police car and fled the scene,'' Becker said.

The woman exited the freeway and headed east, causing more accidents before she turned south onto another street where officers managed to flatten one of her tires with stop sticks, Becker said.

``That did not stop her,'' he said.

Becker said that as her SUV limped on, officers deployed more stop sticks, but she was able to elude them.

Officers were finally able to maneuver her off the road, he said. The woman, who had avoided injury despite all the accidents, was detained and taken to a city hospital for testing to determine whether she'd been driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

``The results of those tests are not known yet,'' Becker said. ``While at the hospital, it was determined that she was in need of a mental health evaluation. An emergency order of detention was done and the female was transported to a local mental health facility.''

She could face arrest on complaints of assault with a dangerous weapon, leaving the scene of an automobile accident and felony attempting to elude police, Becker said.

Police and highway patrol troopers are working together to investigate the case, he said.