Florida Driver Pursued by Police Crashes Into Car, Killing Pregnant Woman And Her Mother

Concerns were raised about the West Palm Beach police officers who pursued the suspect, which led to the crash.

In Florida, a suspect pursued by police in a car chase crashed into another car, killing a pregnant woman and her mother.

The incident occurred on July 30, killing 27-year-old Jenice Woods and her 57-year-old mom, Marcia Pochette.

Police told CBS 12 that Neoni Copeland crashed his Kia Stinger into Woods’ Toyota Corolla around 8:30 p.m. in Boynton Beach. Woods was attempting to make a turn. Immediately after the crash, police said, Copeland fled on foot. However, police quickly caught up with him and arrested the 23-year-old.

The two women were pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital. Woods’ unborn child also did not survive.

“Two and a half lives were taken away from me: my daughter, my wife, my future grandchild,” explained Junel Pochette, Woods’ father and Pochette’s husband, to the news outlet. “We were looking forward to a new grandbaby.”

Additional concerns were raised regarding the West Palm Beach police officers who pursued Copeland. Questions remain on whether they followed the correct pursuit procedure, as the chase ultimately led to the fatal crash.

Copeland initially fled a traffic stop, which does not require a pursuit. Despite this, three units proceeded to chase the man for two and a half miles. West Palm Beach Police Chief Frank Adderly confirmed the launch of an internal investigation into the incident. The department has also placed several officers on administrative leave.

“While there are many questions and few answers at this time, we need to let the facts lead us to the outcome of the investigation,” Adderly said. “We are cooperating with the Boynton Beach Police Department and are committed to full transparency.”

Moreover, Boynton Beach officials are reviewing GPS trackers to see whether the West Palm Beach officers made it to the crash scene and did not administer help, instead returning to their domain. Their investigation is underway alongside one conducted by the Palm County State Attorney’s Office.