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Hannah Marie Pimentel

Age : 19

Gender : Female

Race : White

Date : 05/12/2021

Location : Stanislaus Street and N Street

City : Fresno

County : Fresno

State : California

Agency : California Highway Patrol

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

REASON FOR CHASE: A CHP officer pursued a driver wanted for weapons violations after he drove away from an attempted traffic stop in Fresno's Chinatown.
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NARRATIVE:
On 05/12/2021, 19-year-old Hannah Marie Pimentel of Clovis was killed when a black Ford Fusion fleeing a California Highway Patrol officer crashed into the BMW she was driving near Stanislaus and N streets in downtown Fresno.
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At approximately 3 p.m., a CHP officer assigned to the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium stopped the Ford in Chinatown while looking for a man wanted for weapons violations. The driver initially stopped but accelerated away as the officer approached, and the officer pursued him through downtown Fresno.
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During the pursuit, the fleeing driver threw a loaded AR-15 rifle from the driver's-side window and drove the wrong way on a one-way street. The CHP officer eventually lost sight of the Ford. A few blocks later, the officer saw smoke and reached the intersection of Stanislaus and N streets, where the Ford had crashed into Pimentel's BMW.
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Pimentel sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene. The fleeing driver abandoned the Ford and ran from the crash, prompting a police search and lockdown at nearby Lowell Elementary School.
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Pimentel was born on 06/15/2001 in Clovis and was attending Fresno City College. Her family called her “Bear” and remembered her for her compassion, humor and willingness to listen to people without judging them. Her mother later said Hannah hoped to become a substance-abuse counselor.
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Her sister established a memorial fundraiser after her death. The family planned to use remaining funds beyond funeral expenses to support causes reflecting Hannah's concern for other people; the fundraiser was subsequently directed toward the Hannah Pimentel Foundation and outreach and rehabilitation for people seeking to leave gangs.
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DISPOSITION:
The fleeing driver was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, on 05/28/2021 after remaining at large for more than two weeks. Fresno County prosecutors charged him with murder, evading an officer causing death and unlawful firearm possession.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/crime/article251396023.html
https://abc30.com/post/fresno-lockdown-downtown/10622163/
https://abc30.com/hannah-pimentel-fresno-city-college-student-killed-suspect-crash/10628717/
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article251401393.html
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article252761813.html
https://www.jaychapel.com/obituaries/Ms-Hannah-Marie-Pimentel
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/fresnobee/name/hannah-pimentel-obituary?id=9951839
https://www.gofundme.com/f/memorial-hannah-pimentel