Naked woman rams vehicle into her home
By MARK LITLEY
For The Courier
December 21, 2001
A naked woman who was the subject of an eight-mile high-speed police chase Friday night was captured after she side swiped another car and then crashed her van into her home, police reports said.
The Courier is not identifying the woman because she was later admitted to Saint Vincent Medical Center for mental evaluation.
The woman came to the attention of Tewksbury County sheriff’s deputies about 8:30 p.m. Friday after they received reports of a white van witnesses said that was being driven recklessly on Grand Bend Road.
Officers found a van matching the description in that area, and its driver actually waved at them as they passed, the report says. They tried to stop her, but the driver reportedly ignored their flashing lights and siren and sped southward.
Fearing an accident, officers said they canceled the active pursuit, turned off the emergency signals and followed the van as it traveled at speeds between 80 and 90 mph, passed in no-passing zones, forced drivers off the road, side swiped a red Pontiac Fiero driven by Michael Bornia of Winchester County and then nearly caused several other accidents.
The chase ended on Riverside Circle when the driver ended the chase by crashing into her own home, authorities said. She first locked herself inside the van and later fought off deputies when they tried to pull her from the vehicle.
The woman reportedly hit the officers when they tried to reach inside to unlock the doors and repeatedly shot at them with a loaded water pistol.
Deputies finally broke a window to gain access to the van and wrapped the naked 46-year-old driver in a blanket provided by relatives. It’s not clear at what point the woman disrobed.
Officers said that the woman was apparently uninjured but that both the van she was driving and the Fiero she hit received damage. Mr. Bornia, the driver of the Fiero was not seriously hurt.
The woman driver, who police said had a history of mental disorders, was not charged. Instead, officers returned her to the Medical Center for a mental health evaluation.
