Victim’s family questions police chase that led to serious crash in Walnut Hills

CINCINNATI (FOX19) - The family of a 35-year-old woman is asking for prayers after a crash put her in the hospital Tuesday.

The crash happened around 1 p.m. at May Street and William Howard Taft Road in Walnut Hills.

Shakiya Lewis suffered critical injuries after she was hit by a man fleeing police.

The man, Michale Shelton, was initially sought for waving a gun on Oak Street. Minutes later, he ran a red light and crashed into Lewis’s car.

Lewis is a single mother of three children, according to her family.

She only recently emerged from a rough patch in life, getting a new apartment, car and job all within the last few months.

Now she’s fighting for her life.

“I have anger, but I’m more on the sad side, because she’s just so innocent,” said Lewis’s cousin, Taronda Lewis. “It could have been the kids in the car. It could have been a whole different scenario.”

Taronda finds fault with police for the chase.

“That’s where the anger comes in, because I feel at that time of day, and that residential street, it could have been a kid, it could have been an elderly(...) It could have been someone not even in the car, and they’re chasing people through the streets. That’s somebody you got the license plate [of,] you can go and catch them another day, you know? Or call someone down the road or something,” she said.

Shelton is also hospitalized with serious injuries. Court records show he faces charges of failing to comply with the order or signal of a police officer as well as aggravated vehicular assault.

“That’s so crazy that someone’s actions and mistakes can take somebody’s whole life and turn it into shambles in a matter of seconds,” Taronda said.

Shelton was previously charged in January after police say he threw a brick through someone’s car window during an argument about car rims.

Neither Lewis nor Shelton was wearing their seatbelt, police say.

Excessive speed appears to be a factor, but impairment is yet to be determined, according to CPD.

Any witnesses to the crash are asked to contact the CPD’s Traffic Unit at 513.352.2514.

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