Pregnant woman, baby killed after head-on collision

Independent Tribune ^ | February 7, 2007 | Mike Knox

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LANDIS - A pregnant woman and the baby she was carrying died Tuesday night after a head-on collision with a Jeep driven by a man Kannapolis police were following at the intersection of South Main Street and West First Street.

Another infant child in the car did not appear injured, officials said

Officials did not release their names. They said the woman was eight months pregnant.

Reed Linn, Landis Volunteer Fire Department chief, said the wreck occurred about 5:15 p.m.

Linn said that after the wreck, the man was pinned underneath the Jeep. Emergency service workers had to use two airbag devices to lift the vehicle off the man.

Linn said the woman was pinned in her car and responders had to cut away the doors and roof to get her out. The infant child was in a seat and was not pinned, Linn said.

Landis Police Chief Reggie Faggart said the man driving the Jeep was traveling north on South Main Street at about 70 to 80 mph, with the woman headed south. The speed limit in the area is posted at 35 mph.

As of 9 p.m., police were still trying to learn the identity of the woman in the wreck, Faggart said.

The wreck occurred after a Kannapolis Police Department officer followed the driver of the red Jeep, Kannapolis Police Maj. Woody Chavis said.

He said the officer did not actually chase the driver, but began following him after a woman told the officer she saw the Jeep hit two vehicles in Kannapolis and keep driving.

Karen Page, 35, of Kannapolis, said she saw the vehicle go by and called 911. She said she also talked to an officer.

"I saw him hit two cars at first," she said. "And I followed him trying to get his license plate number."

Tommy Wilbanks, 24, of Kannapolis, said he was driving south on Main Street just in front of the pregnant woman. Wilbanks said he saw the wreck.

He said he watched the Jeep hit the white Saturn and fly into the air.

"He went up in the air and did about three or four flips," Wilbanks said.

He said he got out of his vehicle and went to help the woman.

"I tried to talk to her and told her everything's going to be OK," Wilbanks said. "All I could do was talk to her."

The names of the victims were not released and hospitals will not release patient information without a name.

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Suspect's blood alcohol under study; woman, unborn child killed

LANDIS - Blood alcohol tests will help a prosecutor decide whether to pursue second-degree murder charges against a man whose SUV hit a car driven by a pregnant Salisbury woman, authorities said Thursday.

The wreck killed Leeanna Newman, 20, who was eight months pregnant, and her unborn baby. Newman's 1-year-old daughter, Mallory, a passenger in the car, was not injured in the Tuesday wreck.

The red SUV was driven by Rigo Verto Guillen Martinez, authorities said.

Tests on the fetus will help determine whether Martinez, 33, will face a charge for the unborn baby, said Capt. Steve McNeely, the Landis police officer investigating the wreck.

McNeely said he talked about possible charges Thursday with Rowan County District Attorney William Kenerly.

A blood sample from Martinez has been sent to a Raleigh lab. If a blood alcohol test indicates Martinez was legally intoxicated, Kenerly could charge him with second-degree murder, McNeely said. A conviction would carry a sentence of 8 to 32 years in prison.

If the test shows Martinez was not intoxicated, Kenerly could charge Martinez with felony death by vehicle, which can carry a 15-month to six-year prison term.

A Kannapolis police officer reported Martinez was driving erratically Tuesday. He was following Martinez when Martinez crashed into Newman's car.

Witnesses have given conflicting reports, but some said Martinez was driving as fast as 80 mph near downtown Landis and the Kannapolis officer, David Horne, was right behind him.

Kannapolis police are examining whether Horne followed department policy on pursuing a suspect. Officers aren't supposed to chase a suspect unless the suspect committed a serious misdemeanor or a felony, Kannapolis Maj. Woody Chavis said.

Landis police are waiting for Kannapolis officers to give them a description of the Kannapolis officer's pursuit and a reconstruction of the crime scene before putting together a police report Kenerly can use to decide on charges.

Martinez was listed in fair condition Thursday at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

McNeely said Martinez broke several bones in his legs and needs more surgery before he can be discharged and arrested.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are also still investigating Martinez' residency status.

Martinez had a Mexico driver's license when he was taken to the hospital. It's not valid in North Carolina, Landis police said. Martinez, who was living in Kannapolis near the Landis town limits, does not have an N.C. license, police said.

[RunningWolf]

Oh man,

Charge him with 2nd degree murder twice, and everything else that applies.

[The Black Knight]

This happened two minutes from my house.

Needless to say, people around here are NOT happy about it.

[pandoraou812]

I am very sorry to read this ...Prayers being said for Leeanna Newman and her baby, and her family. Very sad story. It just seems all too often we are reading about illegals getting into car accidents and fatal ones at that. Shaking my head here again...... This is just getting to be too much...

[stainlessbanner]

New headline: Illegal running from cops causes three accidents, two murders.

Prayers for the Newmans and Codespots.

[RunningWolf]

No I am sure you and they are not at the least.

It is a tragedy and sad circumstance.

Look forward to more communication.

Wolf

[fieldmarshaldj]

May they rest in peace.

[Bulldawg Fan]

"Kannapolis police are examining whether Horne followed department policy on pursuing a suspect. Officers aren't supposed to chase a suspect unless the suspect committed a serious misdemeanor or a felony, Kannapolis Maj. Woody Chavis said."

The America haters and other lunatic leftists will key in on this. Just blame the cop and let him take the heat. It's clearly his fault......(sarc)

[OldSmaj]

The red SUV was driven by Rigo Verto Guillen Martinez...

I would immediately say he was an illegal invader, however, the illegal invader apologists (read: liberal RINO pacifist cowards) around here would just accuse me of racism.

[NonValueAdded]

Whoa, they said baby and not fetus? Someone went to the "wrong" J school. Wait until the owner gets wind of that!

[Aaron0617]

another article on story posted here ~ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1780633/posts

[NonValueAdded]

Kannapolis police are examining whether Horne followed department policy on pursuing a suspect. Officers aren't supposed to chase a suspect unless the suspect committed a serious misdemeanor or a felony, Kannapolis Maj. Woody Chavis said.

And there you have the down-side of the "no chase" policy. The officer had to wait until the suspect committed a felony. Well, he finally did - murder, and a preventable one when all is said and done. And in the home of The Intimidator, too! I wonder if the rule was put in effect because the locals were tired of chasing Dale and Dale Jr.?

[Aaron0617]

photos of her car and family's responses here ~ http://www.salisburypost.com/area/326571733732717.php

[TheBattman]

If a blood alcohol test indicates Martinez was legally intoxicated, Kenerly could charge him with second-degree murder, McNeely said. A conviction would carry a sentence of 8 to 32 years in prison.

If the test shows Martinez was not intoxicated, Kenerly could charge Martinez with felony death by vehicle, which can carry a 15-month to six-year prison term.

Ummm I have a question - How is killing a person with a car while sober LESS of a crime than killing a person (actually two) with a car while drunk?

Either way - the result is two dead people -and a horribly traumatized little girl who now no longer has her mother.

Kannapolis police are examining whether Horne followed department policy on pursuing a suspect. Officers aren't supposed to chase a suspect unless the suspect committed a serious misdemeanor or a felony, Kannapolis Maj. Woody Chavis said.

So - driving erratically, striking at least two parked vehicles, and speeding up to 80mph in a 35mph zone is not enough?

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are also still investigating Martinez' residency status.

Martinez had a Mexico driver's license when he was taken to the hospital. It's not valid in North Carolina, Landis police said. Martinez, who was living in Kannapolis near the Landis town limits, does not have an N.C. license, police said. Which means that that there is likely zero insurance...

I hope all U-KNOW-WHAT hits the fan if/when it is discovered (assuming the press doesn't cover it up) that this guy is an illegal alien.

But at the time, the legal status isn't what is important - it is the fact that this should be two cases of MURDER. I have never understood there being a differentiation between different types of homicide - it's kind of like tacking on hate-crime penalties - is the woman and her baby any less dead if alcohol was not involved? Is their death any less wrong or horrible? If he was drunk - who decided to drive drunk? It wasn't the woman and her unborn baby. IF he was not drunk - then who is to say that he wasn't trying to take someone with him?

There are WAY too many different "levels" of murder charges - in my opinion, there are only be three types of homicide - Homicide, justifiable(self defense, which generally should never even go to court), and accidental. For it to be classified as accidental, it should have to be proven that there was no way to avoid it - say a major mechanical failure, and other real accidents. Otherwise - murder is murder. And being drunk, "crazy", or mad is not an excuse, nor a mitigating circumstance.

[gubamyster]

ping

[raybbr]

Something similar happened in front of where I work about a month ago. Some guy in a little red honda (all accounst say he was hispanic) tried to pass someone in a no passing zone. He got run over by a fully loaded dump truck. We can't find out what happened to him. They are keeping it under wraps since New Haven, CT is a sanctuary city for illegals.

[sherri414]

Everyone should write the DA and insist that 2nd degree murder charges be taken out

[1rudeboy]

Maybe not racism. Bigotry, definitely.

[Nea Wood]

Every time I see a story like this I know, even before getting to that part of the story, that the driver was an illegal. Chalk up two more people killed by one of Bush's hardworking, family values guests.