MIAMI – Family members have identified the woman who was struck and killed by a stolen car that was fleeing police.
Lee Lafleur-Greene said Noelle Lazure was not only her mother, but her best friend. She her mother was a loving nurse who enjoyed caring for her patients.
"My mom was the most selfless person. She touched so many lives," Lafleur-Greene said. "I couldn't have asked for a better mother throughout the 22 years I have lived so far."
She said Lazure was in Liberty City attending the funeral for a co-worker's sister Sunday afternoon when she was hit.
Officer Michael Vega, a spokesman for the Miami Police Department, said late Saturday the Miami-Dade Police Department issued a be-on-the-lookout alert for a maroon or red Hyundai Elantra that was stolen in an armed carjacking. On Sunday afternoon, Vega said the same vehicle was used in an armed robbery in Miami's Allapattah neighborhood.
Just before 5 p.m., officers spotted the Elantra in Miami's Liberty City section and began pursuing the car, Vega said. During the chase, the Elantra ran a red light at Northwest 17th Avenue and Northwest 58th Street, striking a car driven by an off-duty Miami police officer, Vega said.
The Elantra sped away and then struck Lazure, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Lazure's body was thrown 10 feet off the ground according to eyewitnesses.
The Elantra then flipped over and struck three parked cars. Vega said three police officers were hurt as they tried to remove the four suspects from the car. Vega said the officers found at least three guns inside the car.
Two of the suspects -- juveniles -- appeared in court on Monday. They are facing charges of armed robbery, possession of a firearm and trespassing.
Lafleur-Greene said she questions the Miami Police Department's decision to pursue the suspects at high speed.