Missouri woman is charged in September gunbattle, fatal wreck in Kansas City

A 26-year-old woman faces charges in connection with a rolling gunbattle and fatal traffic accident in September in Kansas City.

Jackson County prosecutors charged Deanna L. Holleran of Newton, Mo., with second-degree murder and other crimes related to the Sept. 15 collision that killed Mariana Hernandez-Gonzales, 30.

Holleran also faces charges of tampering with a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident and three counts of assault.

According to court documents, Holleran told police she was driving a stolen Chrysler 300 with three other occupants when another vehicle appeared on the road and began firing at them. One of the passengers riding with Holleran fired back.

Approaching a red light at the intersection of Ninth Street and Hardesty Avenue, Holleran “closed her eyes and ‘gunned it,’ ” she allegedly told police, smashing into a Chevrolet Tahoe carrying Hernandez-Gonzales, her husband and six children.

Hernandez-Gonzelez was not wearing a seat belt and died after being ejected through the windshield of the SUV. Her husband and children were injured.

Police pursued a vehicle allegedly involved in the gunfight to the area of 16th Street and Jackson Avenue, where officers took one person into custody.

Holleran and another occupant of the Chrysler fled the scene of the accident on foot, according to court documents. One of them allegedly stole the vehicle of a passer-by who had stopped to help the injured people.

Two other occupants of the Chrysler were transported to the hospital with injuries.

Holleran allegedly told police she had been using meth and marijuana before driving. She was not in custody when the charges were filed.

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Missouri woman is charged in September gunbattle, fatal wreck in Kansas City."