Woman leaps from stolen car being chased by police before deadly crash, AR cops say

The driver of a suspected stolen car died when it crashed into a tree and caught fire during a police chase, according to Arkansas police.

A female passenger jumped from the car shortly before the crash and was taken to a hospital where she was treated for minor injuries, according to the North Little Rock Police Department.

Officers tried to stop a stolen vehicle in North Little Rock just before 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 12, according to a news release from the police department.

The vehicle, which was a Kia Sportage, continued on when officers tried to stop it, according to a news release from the Arkansas State Police.

As it approached an interstate on-ramp, the vehicle slowed down, and a woman jumped out, North Little Rock police said. She was not arrested, a spokeswoman told McClatchy News.

The Kia Sportage then continued westbound on the interstate, and state police responded to assist in the chase, the North Little Rock release says.

The driver tried to take an exit at a “high rate of speed” and lost control of the vehicle, the state police release says. The vehicle struck a tree and caught fire. The driver, who has not yet been identified, was pronounced dead on scene, the release says.

The driver’s body was taken to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory for identification and to determine a cause of death, the release says. The director of the medical examiner’s office told McClatchy News that he could not release information to the public.

This story was originally published January 13, 2023 at 4:42 PM with the headline "Woman leaps from stolen car being chased by police before deadly crash, AR cops say."