Pregnant woman carjacks news van with reporter still inside, Georgia police say
A pregnant Georgia woman found herself in police custody Tuesday after authorities say she hopped behind the wheel of a CBS news van and sped off before crashing it nearby.
A frightened reporter was still inside.
The incident occurred just after 5:30 a.m. Tuesday as Atlanta police responded a single-car crash near 17th Street in midtown Atlanta, according to a preliminary report obtained by McClatchy News. Officers arrived to the scene to find a wrecked 2011 Toyota Highlander that had crashed in the security gate of a local apartment complex, but no suspect.
Meanwhile, a news crew with local station CBS46 was setting up to report in the area near Atlantic Station. That’s when investigators say the mother-to-be approached the running van, hopped in and hit the gas.
Digital reporter Iyani Hughes was in the cargo area of the van, editing, when it was carjacked, police said. According to the report, “(Hughes) shouted for help and officers in the area tried to stop the van.”
The reporter buckled up when her repeated screams for the suspect to stop went ignored, Atlanta police spokesman Officer Steve Avery told local media Tuesday.
“The reporter inside the vehicle tried to make the woman stop and pull over,” Avery said. “The suspect wouldn’t do that, so she did the smart thing. She got into her seat and put her seat belt on.”
The suspect, later identified as 38-year-old Seniqua Lunsford, continued driving and wound up crashing the van into a traffic circle near The Prado NE and Peachtree Circle, according to authorities.
Hughes, who police said is also pregnant, was unharmed in the incident but was taken to a hospital for examination.
The suspect, who police said was behaving strangely at the scene, was quickly arrested by responding officers. She suffered an injured arm, but authorities said it’s unclear if Lunsford’s injury was from the first or second crash.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Avery said he’s thankful no one else was harmed, noting that the incident could’ve ended tragically for both the reporter and the suspect.
“You are just doing your day-to-day job, and things go sideways like that,” he said, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Lunsford was treated at Grady Memorial Hospital and is charged with kidnapping, the police report states. Additional charges are likely.
Authorities said the initial car crash remains under investigation.
This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Pregnant woman carjacks news van with reporter still inside, Georgia police say."