A man accused of fleeing a traffic stop Monday afternoon in Middleborough, Massachusetts, and then crashing into a car in Taunton, killing the woman behind the wheel, is currently being held without bail, Massachusetts State Police said Wednesday.
Massachusetts State Police say Hector Bannister-Sanchez, 34, of Medford, was being targeted by a narcotics task force team when they unsuccessfully attempted to stop his Toyota Highlander at a home in Middleborough. According to police, as Bannister-Sanchez drove over the front lawn, hit the front steps and almost hit a trooper as he made his escape.
According to state police and the Bristol County District Attorney's Office, task force members, who were in unmarked cruisers, did not pursue Bannister-Sanchez when he sped away. No other state police cruisers gave chase - but the vehicle was being tracked by a court-authorized GPS device investigators had placed without the suspect's knowledge.
Using the tracking device, investigators broadcast Bannister-Sanchez's location to other departments. Officers from Middleborough and Lakeville spotted him, but did not give chase, according to police.
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Several minutes later, police allege Bannister-Sanchez's SUV crashed into a Ford Fusion on Kingman Road in Taunton. Members of the task force responded to the crash, along with other state police patrols and local police.
The woman driving the Ford suffered fatal injuries, police said. She was identified by the DA's office later Monday as 54-year-old Lori Ann Medeiros, of Middleborough. Pictures from the scene showed Medeiros' car sustained significant damage in the wreck.
Following the crash, police say Bannister-Sanchez ran away on foot but was located and detained by bystanders and a state trooper.
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Bannister-Sanchez was taken into custody and transported with non-life-threatening injuries to Morton Hospital. He was released Monday night and taken to the state police's barracks in Middleboro.
Bannister-Sanchez is charged with manslaughter, reckless motor vehicle homicide, and negligent motor vehicle homicide. He is also facing drug trafficking charges, after investigators got search warrants for multiple properties associated with him and say they found various drugs and paraphernalia, as well as a gun and cash. His girlfriend, identified as 34-year-old Jillian Haynes, is also facing charges in the drug trafficking investigation.
Bannister-Sanchez was also the subject of an open trafficking case out of Bristol Superior Court. His bail in that case has been revoked, and he was held without bail on the charges associated with Monday night's events.
An investigation is active and ongoing.
