Donna Jean Deitz

Killed in a Belmont, NC, pursuit on February 22, 2012

Obituary
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“Donna was above all an educator. She could walk you through a swampy patch of Florida woodland and—while you swatted at mosquitoes—she’d explain the growth habit of the mangrove, or how a butterfly drinks nectar by reaching into the heart of a flower with a long syringe-like tongue. She shared what delighted her, confident that you’d share her delight.”
—Donna’s sister, Ellen
Ellen Deitz Tucker continues to engage with media interviews about the inherent danger of police chases more than a decade after the tragic death of her sister, Donna.

 

She works for Teaching American History, writing stories about the nation’s social studies teachers, who do the essential work of preparing young people for responsible citizenship.
Donna with her best friend Mimi Sanderlin. Mimi writes: “Donna is my closest friend, the one many people yearn for but never quite find.” She also says their bond is irreplaceable, filled with countless memories, shared secrets, and a deep, unwavering trust that has stood the test of time.

 

The Deitz Family Questioned the Police Account

 
Those killed in the pursuit were Donna and her close friend Kevin Loftin, a former Mayor of Belmont. The story drew much media attention. Belmont Police Chief Charlie Franklin gave reporters variant accounts of events; but he consistently said the pursuit began after a man sped through a traffic checkpoint, aiming his car at the officers manning it. He added that the fleeing driver said he fled to avoid prison. But threatening a policeman is the surest route to prison. What really caused police to pursue a driver in heavy traffic, risking innocent lives?
 
The excerpt below, from a Charlotte Observer report published two days after the deaths, was based on Franklin’s news conferences. It misstates the fleeing driver’s name (Lester Norman) and age (40), the time elapsed during the pursuit (2 minutes), and the precipitating events:
 
“The crash happened about 10:15 p.m., three or four minutes after police began pursuing the Acura. Norman Saunders Jr., 42, was arrested and is Gaston County Jail, awaiting charges to be filed. . . .
 
“The series of events began shortly after 10 p.m., police say, at a DWI checkpoint. Authorities say a black Acura failed to stop at the checkpoint. Belmont police Chief Charlie Franklin said officers pursued the driver because he allegedly nearly struck two law enforcement officers while getting away. According to police, Saunders was driving without a license. WSOC-TV is reporting that Saunders recently was released from prison in South Carolina.
 
“Franklin told reporters that the driver of the Acura was traveling up to 75 mph during the pursuit. As the driver approached the intersection of Wilkinson Boulevard and Park Road, police say, he crashed a red light and sideswiped a PT Cruiser before slamming into the Audi. The force of the crash pushed Loftin’s Audi into a telephone pole.”
 
A private investigator hired by the family established that Lester Saunders Norman did not careen through the checkpoint at high speed, nearly hitting police officers. He stopped as directed, and when asked to show his license, produced a state-issued personal ID. Asked to pull over for further questioning, Norman drove onto the freeway.
 
Six months before, Norman had been released on probation after the second of two 6-year prison terms. The first resulted from his teenage involvement in drug trafficking. After his release, Norman worked, married, and had children. He was imprisoned again after police, in a routine traffic stop, discovered a gun in his glove compartment. (Norman claims the gun was left there by a friend). In 2012, Norman was attempting once again to restart his life. He’d found a job and bought a used car. But he had not yet renewed his driver’s license. The police checkpoint on February 22, 2024 took him by surprise (it was shielded from view, because the freeway on-ramp curved around a hill). Realizing he faced another arrest, Norman panicked and fled.
 
Due to the faulty transmission of his car, Norman initially drove below the speed limit. A minute into the pursuit, police had caught up with him and were driving aggressively in heavy traffic to force him onto the freeway’s shoulder. At the next freeway exit ramp, Norman left the pavement and headed into a drainage ditch. Here, one of the two pursuing police cars might have driven to the top of the ramp to prevent Norman’s escape. Instead, both slowed down; officers watched as Norman drove through the drainage ditch and back up to the top of the ramp, then turned right onto Park Street (SR 273). Police accelerated and followed Norman as he drove downhill at 80 mph toward the intersection of Park Street and Wilkinson Blvd (SR 74). The lights ahead were green. But at about 200 yards from the crossroads, the lights turned red and Loftin’s car slowly drove into view.
 
Norman is currently serving a minimum 25-year sentence for double second-degree murder. After his conviction, he wrote to the Deitz family, apologizing for his disastrous decision to flee police. Four years after the pursuit, Belmont Police Chief Charlie Franklin was fired after a city investigation revealed his mismanagement and financial misconduct.
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