Police: woman with daughter in car leads police on chase

ATLANTA - It was a wild high-speed chase involving a mom fleeing from Carrollton Police with her 5-year-old daughter in the car.

Police tell FOX 5 News Monica Faith Smith originally called them for help but ultimately ended up fleeing from the very officers trying to help her.

Carrollton Police responded to the Carroll County Jail parking lot just after three in the morning Thursday.

The 39-year-old mother refused to get out of her car, fleeing from officers despite her 5-year-old daughter in the back in a safety seat.

Police said they pinged Smith’s phone to the jail parking lot after she called 911 from a Kroger parking lot, complaining somebody was following her.

“She was saying that people were trying to kill her or saying they were trying to kill her,” said Lt. Brad Easterwood.

He said Smith struck an officer with her car while trying to get away. She drove several miles, reaching speeds of more than 80 miles an hour, even driving on the wrong side of the road.

At one point police tried boxing her car in to stop it instead of using a more dangerous pit maneuver.

“The Officers kept that in mind, they didn’t want to it because of the child in the car,” said Lt. Easterwood.

Ultimately Smith lost control at a hotel parking lot, going over an embankment.

“The thought of somebody doing that with a little child, just pull over it’s that simple,” said Melissa Reason, a shopper at the Kroger.

The police report indicates Smith was under the influence of meth at the time.

The stepfather of Ms. Smith who didn’t want to go on camera told FOX 5 News according to hospital records, after the incident, she was not on meth but had a mental breakdown. He said she bonded out of jail and was court ordered to a mental rehabilitation center.

Fortunately, no one was hurt including the little girl. Her 39-year-old mom faces a long list of charges including aggravated assault, hit and run, DUI, reckless driving and more.

“Anyone That would do this is not in the right frame of mind,” said Lt. Easterwood.

Smith family members also told FOX 5 News she had been taking diet pills. They said the little girl is now safe with them.

They also believe Smith may have gone to the Carroll County Jail parking lot believing she could get help there but they had no idea why she fled.