A woman is accused of fleeing from police at 121 mph before slamming into a structure in Gettysburg with a young child in the vehicle, according to Pennsylvania State Police (PSP).
Ashley Acosta, 25, of Steelton, allegedly “was driving under the influence of marijuana and had her 18-month-old son in the rear seat without a car seat,” according to state police.
The child was “alert and crying” at the crash scene on York Street near Liberty Street and “was transported to a hospital,” according to an affidavit of probable cause filed by PSP Trooper Bradley Fornwalt.
Acosta was charged with one felony count each of fleeing police and endangering a child’s welfare, plus one misdemeanor count each of recklessly endangering a person, flight to avoid apprehension, and driving under the influence, as well as one summary count each of reckless driving, careless driving, not using child safety restraints, driving with a suspended license, not stopping for a red light or stop sign, exceeding the speed limit by 66 mph, and driving at an unsafe speed, according to a magisterial docket.
She was held at Adams County Prison unable to post $25,000 cash bail, according to the docket.
Similar charges were filed against her last month in Dauphin County, according to another docket.
Fornwalt was “on stationary patrol” about 12:04 a.m. on U.S. Route 15 about 1.5 miles north of U.S. Route 30 when the driver of a 2020 Honda Accord allegedly “abruptly hit her brakes as she passed my location,” according to the affidavit.
In a marked SUV, he followed the vehicle, and allegedly found its registered owner, Acosta, was listed on a law enforcement database as being wanted “out of Cumberland County for Forgery,” according to the affidavit.
When Fornwalt activated his lights and siren, the driver allegedly “accelerated to a high rate of speed and continued north,” at which point Fornwalt “radioed to dispatch that a Pursuit was in progress,” according to the affidavit.
Acosta allegedly “continued an approximately 20-mile pursuit” and “lost police units in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County,” according to the affidavit.
PSP Troopers Alexander Loder and Ryan Bivens searched the area before returning to Route 15 and waiting near the Adams-York county line, where a southbound vehicle appeared to match the description of Acosta’s, according to the affidavit.
After checking to confirm the vehicle was the same one previously involved, “another pursuit ensued which went south on U.S. 15 and then west on Route 30” before the crash occurred in Gettysburg, according to the affidavit.
It appeared the vehicle struck steps and came to rest against a tree, according to Gettysburg Borough Police Sgt. Harald Pruy.
Loder and Bivens arrested Acosta at the crash scene and allegedly found the child was “sitting on the seat behind the driver’s seat and was not restrained in his car seat,” according to the affidavit.
“A strong odor of burnt marijuana” was allegedly present in the vehicle and Acosta allegedly “had glassy bloodshot eyes and related that she did not exactly know where she was,” according to the affidavit.
During the initial pursuit, Acosta allegedly “ran two (2) red lights and several stop signs,” “turned off lights several times,” and “did not signal on lane changes,” according to the affidavit.
Units were dispatched to the 200 block of York Street (U.S. Route 30) at 12:40 a.m., where the emergency call was completed at 4:18 a.m., according to the Adams County Department of Emergency Services (ACDES).
In Dauphin County, charges filed against Acosta were one felony count each of fleeing and flight to avoid apprehension and one summary count each of driving without lights to avoid arrest, exceeding a 35-mph speed limit by 73 mph, careless driving, reckless driving, driving without a license, and driving at unsafe speed, according to that docket.
The docket listed an “offense date” of May 9 in Lower Paxton Township and indicated a preliminary hearing was scheduled for Thursday.
