Woman Killed By Driver Being Followed By MA State Police

TAUNTON, MA — A Bristol County woman died Monday after a driver fleeing police hit her along a road in Taunton, state police revealed Wednesday.

The incident began Monday when state police drug investigators attempted to arrest Hector Bannister-Sanchez, 34, outside a suspected drug stash house in Middleborough. But as plainclothes troopers approached Sanchez, he drove off.

State police had attached a GPS tracking device to Sanchez's car, and used it to track him as he drove through Middleborough, Taunton and Lakeville. Middleborough and Lakeville police joined the search for him after state police broadcast a description of his SUV. Police spotted Sanchez several times, but said they were "not in active pursuit."

State police said the GPS signal suddenly stopped along Kingman Street in Taunton. When police went to the scene, they found a wreck involving Sanchez's SUV and a sedan. The driver of the sedan, Lori Ann Medeiros, 54, died at Morton Hospital.

"Preliminary crash reconstruction by the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section determined that the suspect vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on Kingman and was unable to negotiate a right-bearing curve," state police said. "The Highlander entered the southbound side of the roadway. Mrs. Medeiros attempted to steer out of the way of the suspect vehicle, but the Highlander collided with the front driver’s side of the Fusion and pushed it into a utility pole."

State police arrested and charged Sanchez on Monday after searching properties connected to him in Norton and Quincy. Police found cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine at the Norton home, plus cash and a gun.