An elderly woman lost her life in a troubling incident that unfolded in downtown D.C. on Monday afternoon. The woman was inside a white SUV, which was stolen from the vicinity of Washington Hospital Center shortly before 1:15 p.m., according to Assistant Chief Darnel Robinson of D.C. police, as reported by WTOP. The vehicle was taken as its driver stepped out and an unnamed female suspect entered the vehicle and drove away with the owner’s elderly mother still seated in the passenger side.
Following the theft, the vehicle's owner contacted the police, who then issued a lookout for the missing SUV. Tragically, not long after, the stolen vehicle crashed into the building on the corner of 6th and D Street Northwest, which houses the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. An officer, who saw the crash in his rearview mirror while driving northbound on 6th street, responded to the scene and witnessed the suspect attempting to flee, WTOP further details.
Wreckage of the incident caused alarm among bystanders. "We just heard a very loud, loud noise. There was a lot of chaos, people screaming," said witness Syn Wilson during an interview with 7News. Wilson added that she had to protect her child from the turmoil as they approached the affected building. "I had to push my baby back because we were literally coming in, then they were blocking us, trying to stop us from going in the building while we were trying to get in the building because of everything."
In the wake of the collision, the elderly woman was found unconscious in the passenger seat, and despite officers' attempts to deliver immediate medical assistance, she was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of her death has not been distinctly linked to the crash, as the investigation is ongoing. FOX 5 DC reported that the police have not yet announced any charges regarding the female suspect responsible for the theft and subsequent crash.
