NM woman dies in crash after pursuit

ESPANOLA, N.M. (AP) - Authorities have identified a woman who died in a crash after being briefly pursued by an Espanola police officer.

She was 29-year-old Roxanne Romero of Santa Cruz.

Police say Romero was the only person in the car when it crashed late Thursday near Espanola Valley High School.

The car, reported stolen in June in Albuquerque, struck a metal pipe intended to protect a gas meter on the side of the road. It then struck the gas meter, became airborne and hit a gooseneck trailer parked on the side of the road.

A police officer first reported seeing the car swerving and when he tried to pull it over, the driver sped away. The officer stopped chasing when the car sped through a stop sign, and he eventually came upon the crash scene.

Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican