Officer ID’d after high-speed chase killed bystander
Published 6:40 am Thursday, March 14, 2019
The police chief of Sardis, Mississippi, has released the identity of an officer who investigators say fatally crashed into a bystander during a car chase.
News outlets report Chief Steven McLarty says 33-year-old Officer Alex Aikens suffered a broken femur and foot in the Monday night crash that killed 32-year-old Ericka Hughes.
The chief says Aikens was chasing a motorcycle driver at high speeds near Interstate 55 and reported the crash minutes later. It’s unclear what prompted the chase.
The Panola County Sheriff’s Office says Hughes was turning into a fast-food restaurant when she was hit. Witnesses say the officer was seen serving in and out of traffic before he crossed the center line and hit Hughes’ car.
Aikens is on unpaid administrative leave. The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating.
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