A Deming woman involved in a rollover crash Wednesday afternoon is suspected of stealing the vehicle earlier in the day.
Kayla Jean Burkhardt, 20, of the 5900 block of Triste Road in Deming, N.M., is charged with one felony count of possession of a stolen vehicle and a misdemeanor count of concealing identity.
Shortly after noon on Wednesday, July 26, Las Cruces Police were dispatched to the report of a rollover crash at the intersection of University Avenue and Don Roser Drive. Officers arrived to find the crash involved a Volkswagen Jetta and a Jeep Cherokee that had rolled over. The driver of the Cherokee, later identified as Burkhardt, had fled the scene but was quickly located at a nearby hotel.
Investigators learned that the Cherokee had been reported stolen from Deming earlier in the day.
Burkhardt received relatively minor injuries from the crash and was transported to the nearby Memorial Medical Center where investigators interviewed her. Initially, she identified herself under another name but then acknowledged her real identity.
Investigators learned that she stole the vehicle from a hospital in Demingon Wednesday morning. She also indicated that she smoked methamphetamine prior to the crash.
Traffic investigators determined the crash occurred when both vehicles entered the intersection at the same time. In addition to the felony and misdemeanor charges, Burkhardt is expected to receive a traffic citation for failure to yield.
Burkhardt was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center where she is being held on a $20,000 bond.
Information from Las Cruces Police