The woman who crashed her car into a Clinton, Md., daycare was fleeing police at the time of the accident, authorities said Wednesday.
Officers responding to the scene of an armed robbery at a convenience store on Fox Run Drive in Clinton spotted a car speeding on the same road just before 11:30 p.m.
Police say they tried several times to stop the driver, identified as 44-year-old Stacey Porter of Southeast D.C., but each time, she sped back up after appearing to stop. According to investigators, Porter lost control of the car while trying to make a turn on Woodyard Road and crashed into the daycare's garage in the 7900 block of Woodyard Road.
The vehicle then caught fire while the driver was still inside. The officers were able to save Porter and extinguish the fire with their fire extinguishers, police spokeswoman Officer Nicole Hubbard said.
The driver suffered minor injuries to her face and ankle and was transported to an area hospital.
No one was inside the daycare at the time of the accident, but officials deemed the building unsafe.
Porter has been charged with driving under the influence, fleeing and eluding police and related traffic offenses.
