Baby Killed in High-Speed Chase

Apr 07, 06:53 AM

Current Headlines: By Dan X. Mcgraw, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas

Apr. 7--A 9-month-old child was fatally injured Friday evening when she was ejected from a sport utility vehicle driven by her mother, who was being pursued by law enforcement officers through Johnson County at speeds exceeding 100 mph, authorities reported.

All four of the SUV's tires were flattened by spikes near Keene, but the woman, identified as Amy Riza, 37, of Keene, drove for about 10 miles on the rims, Trooper Dub Gillum of the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

Riza lost control of her SUV as she neared the intersection of U.S. 67 and Interstate 35W in Alvarado.

The SUV crashed into a concrete median and rolled several times, Gillum said. The baby, Alexxus Riza, was thrown from the SUV, Gillum said.

She was taken by helicopter to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth where she was pronounced dead, Gillum said.

Riza told troopers that Alexxus was asleep on the front passenger seat without any restraint, Gillum said. A car seat was found in the SUV, but it was installed incorrectly, Gillum said.

Riza was arrested by troopers, booked into the Johnson County Jail and taken to Harris Methodist Walls Regional hospital in Cleburne to give a mandatory blood sample to test for drugs and alcohol, Gillum said.

She remained there overnight for observation and treatment for a minor leg injury, Gillum said.

After the wreck, Riza was combative and struggled with troopers as they tried to pull her from the vehicle, he said.

The chase began about 5:40 p.m. east of Glen Rose in Somervell County after the Sheriff's Department received a call from motorist about a reckless driver on U.S. 67. Riza, who was driving from her home in Brownwood to another in Keene, would not pull over, and Somervell deputies chased her toward Cleburne, Gillum said.

As the pursuit entered Johnson County, Cleburne police officers, troopers and Johnson County sheriff's deputies all began to follow the SUV, which was traveling at speeds between 100 mph and 110 mph, Gillum said.

As the pursuit neared Keene, Cleburne police and Johnson County deputies both put out spikes, he said. Officers blocked the intersections ahead of the pursuit, and the pursuers backed off, hoping the SUV would lose speed, Gillum said.

However, Riza continued to drive until the crash, which caused the highway to be shut down for six hours, he said.

Riza faces charges including manslaughter, evading arrest, resisting arrest and reckless driving, Gillum said.

By late Friday, authorities had not established why Riza wouldn't stop. No warrants for her arrest had been issued.

"We all have questions about why this happened," Gillum said. "We just don't have all the answers."

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