3-Year-Old Child Killed in Police Chase

Published: 11/23/2017, 11:15:39 AM EST

Police said an 18-year-old fleeing them lost control of his car and slammed into another car and a light pole, killing a three-year-old child and injuring four others in Waterbury, Connecticut on Nov. 21, according to reports.

The driver, identified as Zekhi Eric Lee of Waterbury, was being investigated for possible drug dealing. When police in an unmarked car tried to pull him over, Lee drove through the city at speeds of up to 65 mph, even driving on the sidewalk at times, according to the Hartford Courant.

Lee collided with a car driven by an 82-year-old man, then hit a light pole, which fell onto a stroller carrying a three-year-old child. Lee also seriously injured three pedestrians, NBC-Connecticut reports. The crash occurred around 3:45 in the afternoon.

Waterbury Police investigate the scene where a driver fleeing police was involved in a vehicle collision that killed a three-year-old on Nov. 21, 2017. (Connecticut State Police) — Waterbury Police investigate the scene where a driver fleeing police was involved in a vehicle collision that killed a three-year-old on Nov. 21, 2017. Connecticut State Police

Claimed He Was Scared

Lee was illegally driving an unregistered, uninsured 1999 Acura TL with only a learner’s permit. Waterbury police in several unmarked cars tried to stop Lee pursuant to a warrant for possible sale of illegal drugs.

When officers tried to box him in on Edgewood Avenue, he drove into a police car hard enough to disable it. Lee then drove north on South Main Street at high speed. He claimed that he knew that police were following him because of their red and blue lights, and he feared for his life, NBC reports.

Lee was driving the wrong way down South Main Street when he ran a red light and struck a silver Toyota Corolla driven by an 82-year-old man at the intersection of South Main and East Liberty streets. Lee’s Acura ricocheted off the Toyota, snapped off a light pole, and plowed along the sidewalk through a crowd of pedestrians.

The pole fell on the stroller of three-year-old Justin Quiroz, which his mother had been pushing along the sidewalk. Justin was pronounced dead at St Mary's Hospital after the crash.

Justin’s mother was brought to St. Mary’s in critical condition, then airlifted to St Francis Medical Center in Hartford, according to the Courant.

One of the pedestrian casualties was a 19-month-old child, who was airlifted to Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

The other injured pedestrian was also taken to St. Mary’s.

The 82-year-old driver of the Toyota received only minor injuries and was transported to Waterbury Hospital.

Lee was charged with first degree manslaughter and felony evading responsibility in Waterbury Superior Court on Nov. 22. He will remain in jail in lieu of $1.2 million and will be back before a judge on Dec. 6.

Waterbury Police and Firemen clean up the scene where a driver fleeing police was involved in a vehicle collision that killed a three-year-old on Nov. 21, 2017. (Connecticut State Police) — Waterbury Police and Firemen clean up the scene where a driver fleeing police was involved in a vehicle collision that killed a three-year-old on Nov. 21, 2017. Connecticut State Police

Neighbors in Tears

Victor Vargas, a neighborhood resident, was at the scene when the fatal collision occurred.

“I heard a loud explosion, like two cars smashing up and some lady screaming ‘cause her baby had gotten thrown from her hands,” he told NBC-CT.

He said that the whole neighborhood was feeling pain.

“It’s a bad scene, a really sad scene.,” he said, adding, “Everybody that’s anybody around here was damn near in tears.”

Another neighborhood resident, Kelli Smith, told NBC, “It hurts. I was actually in tears because, you know, it’s a baby.”

“It is very sad for the family,” said local resident Maria Gonzalez. “Especially in the holidays now, nobody wants to go through this.”

“You know that there’s people on the sidewalk, you know that there’s small children on the sidewalk—I can’t imagine that, it wouldn’t be horrifying,” said Connecticut State Police Public Information Officer, Trooper First Class Kelli Grant, while her colleagues investigated at the scene.

If you enjoyed reading this article, please consider sharing it.