Mother Leads Police On High Speed Chase Through Dallas, Frisco
PLANO (CBSDFW.COM) – Police arrested a mother in Plano after she allegedly took her two children and led authorities on a chase through three counties that reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour, a Navarro County Sheriff's Department spokesman said.
Scarlett Gorden is accused of taking her three-year-old and five-year-old children from Navarro County at about 2:40 p.m., the spokesman said. Gorden's mother has custody of the two and told police she was "greatly concerned for the children's welfare."
Police began pursuing Gorden in Ellis County near Wilmer. She drove north on Interstate 45 and then cut through Dallas on the North Central Expressway. She then exited onto the George Bush Turnpike, driving into Richardson and Frisco.
She then exited onto the Dallas North Tollway before making a U-turn and traveling south into Plano. Shortly thereafter, police then tossed spike strips in front of the vehicle.
Gorden stopped the car on Spring Creek Parkway in Plano and surrendered without incident as police approached with guns drawn. The children were first taken to a police SUV and then moved into an ambulance.
"I'm sure they were relieved, I can only imagine being that young and traveling in a car at 100 miles per hour," said Dallas Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Kim Leach.
Child Protective Services did not take the children after the chase, meaning they're likely back with family or a guardian. Ellis County is charging Gorden with child endangerment and fleeing from police. The department initially said it would not be filing kidnapping charges, but a release sent later in the evening said it is "reviewing" the case further before making that decision.
Gorden has a prior record for theft, possession of marijuana, driving with a suspended license and failure to identify/intent to give false information to a police officer.
