ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 22, 1996 TAG: 9604230059
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BETTY HAYDEN STAFF WRITER
What started out as a routine traffic stop turned into a chase that eventually claimed the lives of a Vinton couple and critically injured their 6-week-old daughter.
Thomas F. Faucher Jr., 34, and Lori D. Mason, 36, were killed shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday when a car being chased by police apparently ran a red light at Plantation and Williamson roads and struck their car on the driver's side, police said.
The infant, Joleen R. Faucher, was thrown from her car seat, which was in the back seat on the driver's side. She was in very critical condition at Community Hospital of Roanoke Valley late Sunday.
The driver of the other car, Scott Carlton Allman, 21, of Roanoke was charged with felony hit and run, felony failure to stop for police and driving on a suspended license, police said. He was being held without bond in the Roanoke County/Salem Jail.
The investigation continues, and other charges might be filed, police said.
Allman was not seriously injured. His wife, whose name was not available, was a passenger in the car and was taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital. No information was released about her condition.
Allman's car pushed the couple's car through the intersection, hitting two other cars. Matthew H. Poff, 17, of Troutville, the driver of one car, was not injured.
The driver of the other car, Cheryle Chapin, 28, of Roanoke, and her 2-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, were treated at Roanoke Memorial and released. Two passengers in Chapin's car, Elizabeth Wilburn, 49, of Bluefield, W.Va., and Elaine Cowan, 45, of Princeton, W.Va., were not injured.
Roanoke County Officer J.L. McPhail attempted to stop Allman's car on Franklin Road near Hunting Hills Drive after noticing its heavily tinted windows, police said. Allman appeared to be cooperating, but then sped away north on Franklin.
McPhail pursued Allman, noting that "traffic was not being adversely affected," according to a police news release. At one point, the officer believed the car to be stolen because a license plate check didn't appear to match the vehicle.
The car continued north on Roy L. Webber Highway and Interstate I-581, then exited eastbound at Hershberger Road, police said. Allman's car struck a car near Plantation Road, but that driver did not appear to be injured, so McPhail continued the chase. Another officer stopped to check on the driver.
Allman then headed northwest on Plantation Road, and the officer learned the car belonged to Allman. McPhail decided to break off the chase as they approached Boxley Road, police said.
McPhail could see that the intersection ahead at Williamson Road was blocked by traffic, so he slowed to about 25 mph, but Allman continued through the intersection, where he collided with the Vinton couple's car, police said.
Katie Forbish, 28, of Roanoke was sitting at a stoplight on Hershberger Road when the speeding car came up behind her.
"I braced myself, because I thought he was going to hit me," said Forbish, who had her 22-month old daughter with her. Forbish said the car veered to the right around her car, barely missing her. While the incident scared her, she said Roanoke County police officers acted responsibly.
"The police officers were very, very cautious," she said. "From what I saw, they were doing an incredible job."
Police would not say how fast Allman and McPhail were driving during the chase, nor would they discuss the department's chase policy.
Allman is wanted in Roanoke on trespassing, petty larceny, bad check and failure to appear in court charges, according to court documents. He is also wanted in Salem for failure to appear, the documents show.
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY Staff. Two Vinton residents were killed andby CNBtheir infant seriously injured in this car when a car running from
police hit theirs Sunday at Williamson and Plantation roads. KEYWORDS: FATALITY