Pregnant Woman and Her Mother Killed in Tragic Florida Police Chase Crash
Photo: Facebook/Palm Beach County Sheriff
A pregnant woman and her mother lost their lives after a suspect crashed into their car while attempting to evade police in Florida, according to multiple reports.
Neoni Copeland, 23, was driving a Kia Stinger at a high speed in Boynton Beach when he collided with a blue Toyota Corolla around 8:10 p.m. local time on Tuesday, July 30, as confirmed by police told to WFLX.
Authorities said the Toyota Corolla was making a turn when the collision occurred. Following the crash, Copeland allegedly tried to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended by responding officers.
The driver of the Toyota Corolla, 27-year-old Jenice Woods, and her mother, 57-year-old Marcia Pochette, were transported to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
Junel Pochette, Woods’ father and Marcia’s husband, told CBS12 News that his daughter was two months pregnant at the time of the crash. “Two and a half lives were taken away from me: my daughter, my wife, my future grandchild,” he said. “We were looking forward to a new grandbaby.”
Neighbor Lorna Reynolds expressed the community’s grief to WPTV, saying, “At this stage, [Woods] was preparing to be a mother, and her mother was going to be a grandmother, so this was very, very heartbreaking for all of us.”
The Boynton Beach Police Department revealed that Copeland had been fleeing from West Palm Beach police officers shortly before the crash.
The West Palm Beach Police Department has since initiated an internal affairs investigation into the incident, beginning on Wednesday, July 31. Seven officers have been placed on administrative leave as part of the investigation, as reported by WPBF.
Sources told WPBF that the officers might have violated the department’s pursuit policies by chasing Copeland. West Palm Beach Police Chief Frank Adderley stated, “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. We are cooperating with the Boynton Beach Police Department and are committed to full transparency.”
Neither the Boynton Beach Police Department nor the West Palm Beach Police Department immediately responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Copeland is currently facing charges of resisting arrest and leaving the scene of a crash causing fatality, Police indicated that additional charges might be forthcoming as the investigation progresses. Copeland is being held without bail in Palm Beach County jail, as per WPTV. It is unclear if he has legal representation to comment on his behalf.
