Portsmouth, Va. - The trial began Monday for a 19-year-old charged with leading police on a high-speed chase through multiple Hampton Roads cities last March.
Police say last March, Alicia Stevens was spotted driving a stolen vehicle and then refused to pull over. Officers chased her from Portsmouth into Chesapeake before Stevens jumped on I-664 northbound and eventually crashed on I-64 in Newport News.
Stevens was reportedly weaving in and out of traffic while speeding and hit several cars before crashing just before exit 250B near the Industrial Park Drive overpass.
Alicia Stevens
After her arrest, Stevens told NewsChannel 3 that she was "doped up on pills" and didn't know that she was driving a stolen car until police tried to pull her over.
She said that the 15-year-old passengers in the car had stolen the vehicle and asked her to drive. She said she decided to run from the police because that's what her friends told her to do.
The two 15-year-olds that were in the car with Stevens during the incident have been charged with stealing the vehicle.
Stevens was originally charged with felony eluding, abuse/neglect of a child (x2), driving under the influence of drugs, possession of a Schedule II drug and driving without a license.
All of the charges were dropped except the felony eluding charge and the possession of a controlled substance charge.
Several police officers are in court and testimonies are expected to continue into the afternoon.
More details will be posted as they become available.
