![]() |
Brought to you by Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Heflin Police say that a police pursuit that began in Georgia ended with an accident in Alabama.
Georgia authorities say the chase started when a Rodney DeWayne Smith, 20, and Kimberly Rachael Duggar, 20, fled the scene of a Carrollton house fire.
Carrollton Police stated that officers and firefighters responded to a house fire around 1:30 p.m. Captain Chris Dobbs says the couple, who reportedly lived at the house with their four-year-old child, called a taxi and left the scene.
Heflin Police Chief A.J. Benefield says the couple told the taxi driver to take them to a nearby McDonald's. While there, Duggar allegedly threatened the taxi driver with a pistol and told him to get out. The driver complied and Smith allegedly took over driving. The couple, with the child, continued onto I-20 westbound where they were spotted and pursued by Bremen Police.
Authorities say that during the pursuit, the the stolen taxi hit the back of a flatbed 18-wheeler near exit 205 near Heflin, ran off the road and crashed into a wooded area.
The child is expected to be OK after receiving a gash to her forehead. She was taken to Anniston by ground ambulance. Duggar was flown to Birmingham to be treated for head injuries and Smith was taken to Tanner Hospital in Georgia.
Police say Smith admitted to setting the house on fire but they aren't sure why.
"Some of the statements he made is they wanted to get back to Alabama. They did not like living in Carrollton which that didn't make a whole lot of sense [to] set a house on fire and rob and taxi driver just to get back to Alabama," Dobbs said.
Authorities found the gun allegedly used in the carjacking inside the four-year-old's baby bag.
Dental Health is Important for Children's 'Baby Teeth'
Lamb Chops and Red Wine: A Perfect Easter Pairing
Alabama Department of Public Health issues 2016 Fish Consumption
Aquarium animals and plants should never be released in the wild
Keywords: Heflin Police , Rodney DeWayne Smith, Kimberly Rachael Duggar,I-20 westbound ,stolen taxi ,
Visit Local News
There currently are no approved comments for this blog article. To join the discussion click here.