Lexington woman in custody after ramming vehicles and leading officers on a car chase

A Lexington woman is in jail after ramming a patrol car, damaging another person's car, and leading officers on a short chase.

At 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24, Morganton Department of Public Safety Officers were called to the area of Toner's Pub in Downtown Morganton to investigate a hit and run involving property damage. Upon arrival, officers discovered a parked vehicle had been struck on the rear bumper; forcing it into a utility pole. The suspect vehicle left the area; however, was located shortly afterward in the parking lot of Ingle's on Carbon City Road.

Officers Z. Carlton, J. Chapman, and Sgt. J. Belanger made contact with the driver, identified as 34-year-old Cassandra Queen of Lexington. Officers attempted to gain cooperation from Queen using verbal de-escalation techniques; however, those efforts were not met. Officers believed Queen was under the influence of an impairing substance based on her actions. They also saw suspected contraband in the car. Queen was commanded to open her car door and told she was under arrest. Officers attempted opening the door using an unlock kit. Queen started her engine at which point the decision was made to use a punch-tool to break the window. Queen put her car in reverse, ramming a City of Morganton patrol car and exiting the parking lot.

Queen continued west on Carbon City Road, making a left onto Jamestown Road. Queen refused to stop for officers' blue lights and siren as she continued to drive erratically on Jamestown Road toward Interstate 40. Queen made a left onto Interstate 40 and proceeded eastbound as officers followed. A trooper with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol successfully deployed a controlled tire deflation device which slowly deflated Queen's tires, causing her vehicle to come to a stop just past the Enola Road Exit 104. Queen was taken into custody by Morganton Department of Public Safety where she was charged with a number of criminal offenses.

Queen’s license was already suspended for previous Driving While Impaired offenses and the manner in which she attempted to evade police led to her vehicle being seized by the State of North Carolina's “Run & You’re Done” Law. Queen was charged with the following offenses:

• Driving While Impaired
• Felony Flee to Elude Arrest
• Speeding
• Driving While License Revoked
• Hit and Run, Leaving the Scene (property damage)
• 3 counts of Resisting a Public Officer
• Driving the Wrong Way on a Dual Lane Highway
• Fail to Burn Headlamps
• Failing to Stop for a Stop Light
• Reckless Driving

Queen was confined to the Burke County Jail under at $24,000 secured bond. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 26. Agencies involved include the Morganton Department of Public Safety and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.