Police catch Colorado mom racing toward dangerous road with child. Now she's charged with attempted murder.
A 33-year-old Cañon City woman who led police on a high-speed chase faces 17 charges including kidnapping, child abuse and attempted murder of her 4-year-old daughter.
Police investigators brought the charges against Ashley Procter after officers forced Procter's car off a road leading to dangerous heights. They did so with the belief Procter may harm her daughter, according to a police report.
Procter allegedly assaulted a Colorado Department of Human Services caseworker during a court-ordered visitation Aug. 21 and drove away with her child in a car.
The incident ignited a chase through neighborhoods, downtown Cañon City and along a stretch of U.S. 50. Three Cañon City police officers pursued Procter's car as she ran stop signs, as shown on dashcam recordings obtained by CBS News Colorado.
The court-ordered visit was the third supervised meeting between and her daughter since Procter captured the state's attention with suicidal statements. One of those statements, according to CDHS background provided to police officers, included Procter's claim to "get her child and drive off a cliff."
The pursuit ended shortly after Procter turned from U.S. 50 onto Skyline Drive. That road leads to a narrow, undulating strip of asphalt atop a ridge immediately west of the city.
"The drive is known for the one lane windy roads leading up to areas that people have been known to drive off, due to the road having no traffic barriers on either side," a CCPD detective wrote in a police report. He noted that pursuing officers made their choice to bring the chase to an end before they were notified of Procter's earlier statements.
Procter lamented the fact she was in a high-speed chase as she livestreamed on social media while driving.
"I'm doing some crazy s- right now," she said as a siren could be heard in the background. "I'm not going to let people take my kid, dude. This is my daughter, dude."
Procter's daughter can be seen in the video, unrestrained in a child's car seat.
Procter said, "OK, here we go," as she approached Skyline Drive and turned her steering wheel. Tires could be heard squealing.
Procter's livestream ended after the crash, her blonde dreadlocks were seen on the ground while she was taken into custody.
"The decision by the officers to inflict a maneuver to end a dangerous vehicle pursuit before the vehicle could be driven onto a dangerous road with a young child inside was calculated and intentionally executed to reduce the risk of serious injury or death to the occupants, which would likely have been the result had the pursuit continued," the police department stated in a press release.
Procter and her daughter were treated for minor injuries following the incident, as was the CDHS caseworker who physically fought with Procter over the child. A 9-month-old dog in Procter's car was also treated for minor injuries at a Colorado Springs animal hospital.
State caseworkers were granted custody of Procter's 4-year-old daughter nine days before the incident, according to the police report.
Procter posted bond and was released from jail on Sept. 1, per online courts records. She is scheduled to appear in Fremont County District Court on Nov. 13. Six of the 17 charges she faces are felonies.
