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Aylene "Nicole" Heaney

Age : 50

Gender : Female

Race : White

Date : 10/26/2021

Location : 11500 block of McKinley Street

City : Houston

County : Harris

State : Texas

Agency : Houston Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 10:40 p.m. on 10/25/2021, a trucking company in the 14700 block of Sommermeyer Street reported that an 18-wheeler flatbed had been stolen. The company tracked the truck by GPS. At approximately 12:20 a.m., Houston Police located the stolen truck near Breen Road and State Highway 249 and attempted a traffic stop. The driver continued driving away and police initiated a pursuit.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/26/2021, Houston Police pursued the stolen 18-wheeler through northwest Harris County after locating it using the trucking company's GPS. Police described the pursuit as brief. The truck traveled along Lincoln Drive toward McKinley Street while officers followed with emergency equipment activated.
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As the 18-wheeler approached the T-intersection at Lincoln Drive and McKinley Street, police alleged the driver disregarded a stop sign and jumped from the cab while the truck was still moving. He landed in a drainage ditch while the driverless tractor-trailer continued forward, crashed through a metal barrier and plowed into a mobile home in the 11500 block of McKinley Street. Surveillance video captured the truck crashing into the residence.
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Aylene “Nicole” Heaney and her partner, 54-year-old Jeff Conyers, were asleep in their bedroom when the 18-wheeler tore into the home and trapped them beneath the wreckage. Heaney was found dead at the scene. Conyers was pinned beneath the truck's fuel tank for more than an hour while firefighters stabilized the severely damaged home before they could safely extricate him.
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Conyers survived with extensive injuries, including three broken ribs, a broken arm, a crushed shoulder, five broken fingers, destroyed muscle tissue and facial burns. The collision also destroyed the couple's home, vehicle and possessions. His brother, Chris Conyers, said Jeff had lost “the love of his life” along with virtually everything he owned.
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Four adults were inside the home when the truck struck it. Heaney and Conyers were in the bedroom directly in the truck's path. Two housemates were sleeping on the opposite side of the residence and escaped the destruction.
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES:
1 Fatality, 1 Serious Injury.
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EYEWITNESS OR FAMILY STATEMENTS:
Chris Conyers described the crash as devastating his brother's entire life at once: Jeff survived with serious injuries but lost Nicole, his home, his vehicle and virtually all of his belongings. The family established a fundraiser because Jeff faced extensive medical recovery and was unable to work following the crash.
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DISPOSITION:
Police arrested the fleeing driver immediately after he jumped from the moving truck. Harris County prosecutors charged him with felony murder in Heaney's death and reckless aggravated assault for the injuries to Conyers.
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No Houston Police officer was criminally charged for the officer's role in initiating or continuing the pursuit.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Houston Police did not publicly identify the officer or officers who initiated and participated in the pursuit.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/10/26/woman-killed-after-18-wheeler-hits-home-during-chase-in-north-harris-county-deputies-say/
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/Authorities-pursue-felony-murder-charge-in-16564419.php
https://abc13.com/post/woman-killed-18-wheeler-crash-stolen-semi-northwest-harris-county/11168855/
https://www.fox26houston.com/news/woman-dead-man-injured-after-18-wheeler-crashes-into-harris-co-home
https://cdllife.com/2021/truck-thief-who-smashed-through-mobile-home-facing-murder-charges/
https://www.newser.com/story/312682/stolen-driverless-big-rig-slams-into-home-kills-woman.html