Mom and 12-year-old son killed when police cruiser slams into minivan, NC cops say
A mother and her 12-year-old son died after a police cruiser slammed into their minivan in North Carolina, officials said.
The Hickory Police Department said the fatal crash happened when one of its officers was chasing a motorcycle Friday, Sept. 8. The officer was placed on administrative leave “pending the outcome of an administrative investigation,” according to a police department Sept. 9 news release.
The crash was reported at about 10:45 p.m. along U.S. Highway 70. The police department said it tried to stop a motorcycle for “careless and reckless driving and failing to display a license plate” when the rider reportedly drove away from an officer’s SUV.
“The officer activated his blue lights and siren and pursued the motorcycle,” police wrote in the release. “As they approached the intersection of Hwy 70 SW and 13th Street SW, a Honda Odyssey minivan entered the intersection from 13th street SW and was struck by the police vehicle.”
The Honda driver — identified by state troopers as 38-year-old Cynthia Nicole Lail of Hickory — died at the scene of the crash. Her passenger, Michael Lail, was taken to a children’s hospital and died two days later, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol.
After the crash, officials also said the “officer and front seat passenger of the police vehicle were transported to the hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.” The officer’s passenger was identified as a “Hickory Police Department applicant.”
Meanwhile, police said the motorcycle rider never stopped and left the scene. Anyone with information about the rider is asked to contact police or state troopers, who are now overseeing the crash investigation.
Hickory is roughly 55 miles northwest of Charlotte.
This story was originally published September 11, 2023 at 12:18 PM with the headline "Mom and 12-year-old son killed when police cruiser slams into minivan, NC cops say."
