Woman in car at red light killed by vehicle running from police confirmed to be mom of HPD officer

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — An innocent woman is dead and multiple others are hurt after a suspect crashed into other vehicles while running from police in southeast Houston on Thursday.

Authorities confirmed the woman who died was the mother of a Houston Police Department officer.

“What a tragedy. Oh, my God,” bystander Vickie Paschel said.

HPD Chief Troy Finner said it all started Wednesday night at about 8 p.m. when two suspects robbed a victim of her car.

Kathleen Hill said she was the one who was carjacked near Hobby Airport.

“There were two young guys dressed in camo with ski masks. They robbed me at gunpoint. They had two assault rifles to my head, saying they were going to take my car and get out of the way,” Hill said.

Finner said the woman had a tracking system with her dealership and contacted police Thursday morning about the car’s latest location, at 7800 Jutland Road near Bellfort.

At about 10 a.m., officers spotted the two suspects in the stolen vehicle, initiated a pursuit, and quickly lost sight of them because of their speed, according to Finner. Police ultimately decided the chase was dangerous and pulled back.

“This does not look like a pursuit or an incident where we were pursuing, and they crashed into somebody. This is squarely on the suspects from what we know right now,” Finner said.

ABC13 obtained surveillance video from two nearby businesses that showed HPD patrol units following the vehicle shortly before the wreck.

WATCH: Surveillance video shows moments before suspects running from police crash into multiple vehicles

Councilwoman Carolyn Evans-Shabazz has spoken out against police chases. On Thursday, she said she was glad to know police chose to pull back and not engage but is still outraged that someone’s life was lost as the result of this crime spree.

“I want to know, how do you sleep at night knowing you have taken away someone’s loved one?” Shabazz asked.

The suspects reportedly ended up at the Martin Luther King and Van Fleet intersection, where other vehicles were stopped at a light.

“The suspect disregarded safety for anybody, plowed into those vehicles,” Finner said.

WATCH: HPD chief speaks after innocent woman killed in crash with chase suspects

A woman in one of the stopped vehicles was killed, and two others were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Finner added the two suspects were also transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

“I was saddened to learn in (Thursday) morning’s crash caused by a suspect driving a stolen vehicle is the mother of a Houston police sergeant,” a statement from Finner later read, in part.

“There’s been a lot of talk about pursuits and the HPD policy,” Finner said, adding that he’s planning to make some adjustments to it next week. “From what I know from this scene right now (Thursday), it’s not a policy issue. And everybody in the criminal justice system is going to have to take an active role to do their part.”

Finner said the two suspects are in their teens or early 20s and were armed, adding that they should expect murder charges soon.

“If you shot a gun into a crowd, what would the punishment be? We need the same damn punishment of people in vehicles,” Finner said.

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