No good can come from trying to evade a police traffic stop. This is especially the case for people they’re pursuing over suspected car theft. Sadly, this happened in Kansas when a woman in a stolen vehicle tried to run and ended up taking the life of an uninvolved driver. Of course, the driver in the stolen Ford faces severe charges for her destructive actions. 

She committed car theft twice and then took an uninvolved woman’s life

Car theft is a serious crime, which is why so many law enforcement agencies are doing their best to recover stolen vehicles. According to The Wichita Eagle, police officers received word of a stolen Ford Escape on October 28th before noon. They used license plate readers to locate the missing vehicle. Officers later determined that Katelyn Barrioz had stolen the SUV. 

The police followed the car theft perpetrator to a local Walmart in an unmarked vehicle. Notably, there were two people in the SUV. From there, the police tried to make a traffic stop, but the driver fled. This is when the police officers put down spike strips, which deflated two of the four tires. They got away, but not before striking a police car. 

Things continued with the two suspects getting out of the stolen Ford Escape because they couldn’t drive on two deflated tires. The two tried running, but police caught and arrested Katelyn’s passenger, a 24-year-old man.

However, she got away and then committed car theft again; this time, she took a 2024 Ford Transit van. Sadly, while driving, she hit 43-year-old Mandy Buckwalter’s car at around 12:39 p.m. She then tried running on foot, but police arrested her. They first took her to the hospital for treatment. 

Sadly, Many Buckwalter was pronounced dead on the scene due to the car crash. Katelyn was charged on October 31st with first-degree felony murder, second-degree murder, unintentional but reckless, felony flee and elude, aggravated burglary, auto theft, and criminal damage to property. She also had prior charges.