6 months ago
MANASSAS, Va. (WUSA) -- Prince William County Police say one of their officers pulled a baby from a burning car Thursday morning, after the driver crashed while trying to speed away from a radar speed trap.
It happened about 5:45 a.m., when Officer Heath Oyler was running radar on Yorkshire Lane in Manassas and he saw a car approaching him at 40 miles an hour in a 25 mph zone. Police say when the speeding car made a right turn onto Bull Run Road, Officer Oyler activated his emergency equipment but the driver did not stop.
Police say the driver then turned onto West Rugby Road and began to rapidly accelerate. Police say Officer Oyler did not pursue the car and lost sight of it, but as he continued down West Rugby Road, Officer Oyler came upon the crashed vehicle.
According to a statement released by Prince William County Police, as Oyler approached the car, he noticed the car had begun to catch on fire and also observed the driver attempting to flee the scene. Oyler approached the driver who had run from the car, but had fallen down due to his injuries. The driver yelled to Oyler that his baby was in the car. Oyler then left the driver to return to the car to rescue the 8-month-old baby girl from the crashed vehicle.
The driver sustained injuries that required him to be transported to the hospital. The baby was also checked out at the hospital but was relatively unharmed and was treated and released to her mother. Police say the suspect, identified as Gustavo Adolfo Diaz-Bautista, 23, of Centreville, is still in the hospital in stable condition.
Police say Diaz-Bautista faces a variety of charges, including
Felony eluding, Felony child abuse/neglect, and driving on a revoked operator's license. Diaz-Bautista was ordered held without bond, pending his next court date in mid-September.
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