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Wreck during chase kills woman
Trooper says that she was driving car without permission from owner
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Published: June 23, 2009
A Cooleemee woman died yesterday after her car collided with another car during a chase involving a Cooleemee police officer that reached speeds of more than 100 mph.
Elizabeth Michelle Deese, 32, died at the scene of the accident, which happened just before 1 a.m. at the intersection of Needmore and Mount Vernon roads just across the Rowan County line from Cooleemee, the N.C. Highway Patrol said.
The driver of the other car was not seriously injured, the highway patrol said.
The Davie County Sheriff's Office was investigating a report of an unauthorized use of a vehicle. Deese was driving a friend's car without permission, said Trooper Christopher J. Doty.
A description of the car went out on the radio. Officer Brent Cranford of the Cooleemee Police Department saw the car being driven by Deese and tried to stop it, Doty said.
Deese, however, took off, and Cranford pursued. Inside a sharp curve, Deese crossed the center line and hit the other car.
Cooleemee Police Chief Bobby West did not return phone calls yesterday.
Sgt. John Agee of the Cooleemee Police Department declined to comment and referred questions to the highway patrol.
Doty said that Cranford was still on duty.
The highway patrol is still investigating, the trooper also said.
Cooleemee Mayor John Chandler said he didn't have enough information on the crash to comment.
"I'm just thinking about the family," he said.
■ Michael Hewlett can be reached at 727-7326 or at mhewlett@wsjournal.com.
■ Paul Garber can be reached at 727-7327 or at pgarber@wsjournal.com.
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