Fatal hit-and-run suspect testifies
A woman charged in the deaths last year of two highway workers south of Lawrence testifies that she wouldn't stop for a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper because she didn't know who he was. Enlarge video
U.S. Highway 59 accident location
LYNDON — A woman charged with leading a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper on a high-speed chase after a double fatality hit-and-run incident last year said she thought someone was trying to kill her.
"I was really scared," Ramona I. Morgan, 48, said during her trial in Osage County District Court, where she is charged with fleeing or attempting to elude police, a felony, and traffic violations.
A jury will begin deliberations today on the charges.
Under questioning by her attorney, Billy Rork, Morgan said she and her daughter left their Washington state home and traveled to Lebanon, Mo., to look at property to buy. Morgan said she didn't make the purchase, and was followed by a caravan of vehicles and shot at.
That was on Sept. 10, 2007, the day before Trooper Todd Brooks used emergency lights and sirens to try to stop Morgan after he heard about the double fatality in Douglas County.
Morgan is charged in Douglas County with reckless second-degree murder in two highway workers' deaths on U.S. Highway 59 at Pleasant Grove.
She has yet to be tried.
A recording of Brooks' chase of Morgan's pickup on U.S. Highway 56 near Overbrook was played for the jury. The truck traveled up to 90 mph, Brooks said. The chase ended after spike sticks were used outside Scranton.
During the chase, Morgan's daughter, Sabrina Morgan, 26, a passenger, called 911 on a cell phone and repeatedly asked Osage County emergency dispatchers why she and her mother were being chased.
"I didn't do anything wrong," Sabrina Morgan said. "I'm not trying to hurt nobody. Are you going to kill us?"
At the end of the chase, Ramona Morgan asked whether they were going to be shot.
"We're not going to shoot you unless you have a weapon," Brooks said. Brooks testified he did have his gun drawn.
Sabrina Morgan is not charged in Osage or Douglas County.
Comments
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ksmax (anonymous) says…
What a bunch of crap! That is one of the worst excuses that I have ever heard!! She ran over and killed two innocent people, she is very lucky she didn't get shot! What a crock! These people are commiting crimes, and playing stupid when it comes down to dealing with being caught. Face up to what you did!!!
gkwhdw (anonymous) says…
Excuse us all! Not a mention from Ramona or her daughter about the fact that they ran down two highway workers.Nobody can ignore hitting two human beings and justify it by saying they were scared they were gonna get shot. Boo hoo! Maybe they should've been since they had no regard for those two innocent men who were putting in a hard days work. Off to the dungeons with you, Ramona, and Sabrina you got off lucky. Shut UP!!!!!
misseve (anonymous) says…
Are they serious? They were scared? They didnt know why they were being chased? They MUST have known they ran down 2 people... Unless in Washington thats called speed bumps. I usually dont judge but OMG what a couple of morons.
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Hope for justice in the other county, because there won't be any in Douglas County. Too bad judge Six left the area, he would have been the only hope for justice here.
fu7il3 (anonymous) says…
I'll bet the construction workers were scared too while they were drawing their last breaths thanks to these people.
compmd (anonymous) says…
thebcman (Anonymous) says:"I would have shot her."Then you would be no better than the screwed up Ms. Morgan.consumer1 (Anonymous) says: "Hope for justice in the other county, because there won't be any in Douglas County. Too bad judge Six left the area, he would have been the only hope for justice here." They aren't charged with anything close to murder in Osage County. You seem to think they won't be punished here. Name the last murder case here in Douglas County where the defendant was found not guilty. This Morgan lady is nuts, and I have no doubt the wheels of justice will do their job.
OldEnuf2BYurDad (anonymous) says…
OK, let's just go along with her story for a second. She was being "chased" by a caravan of one-armed men and was frightened. OK, let's say that's all *true*. Why then would one run from the cops? If a bunch of bad people are chasing her, then the cops are a welcome sight, no?"was followed by a caravan of vehicles and shot at. That was on Sept. 10, 2007, the day before..."So, if I'm shot at in MO, I'm going to be so freaked out that I'm driving "through" construction sites with my pedal to the metal a whole day later in KS? Who was shooting at her, Kaiser Soze?She thought the cops were going to shoot her? Not in Kansas, and not with her skin pigment.Either they are insane, or they are doing drugs. This is a whole new level of paranoia. They were probably looking to cook meth in Lebanon, MO. Something is quite wrong in the head of that older one.
fu7il3 (anonymous) says…
"Who was shooting at her, Kaiser Soze?"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
Buggie7 (anonymous) says…
You ran over 2 people intentionally because you were scared? Did you ever think those 2 victims on 59 hwy were just as scared? Take your medicine and freakin go to jail and shut the hell up. Oh wait, we are in Douglas County so I guess its take your medicine and do your probation and counseling.
OldEnuf2BYurDad (anonymous) says…
""I would have shot her."Then you would be no better than the screwed up Ms. Morgan."Yeah that's true, except that at least he could give a reason why he killed another person that would make sense to the rest of the world.
Buggie7 (anonymous) says…
Paranoia will do that to ya hey Ms Morgan? Lay off the drugs and sauce. You wouldnt have found yourself in that situation. (Playing little tiny Violins)
JJE007 (anonymous) says…
I'm very, very frightened of that woman.
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
Jeteras (anonymous) says…
They also fail to mention that the flagger that was stopping traffic was nearly hit as these dip$%@#$ went around traffic control at about 60 mph. This is one reason they should bring back public hangings
webmocker (anonymous) says…
oldenuf: Thank you for a good laugh. Needed it.
themiddlechild (mary smith) says…
I would be really scared for my own life and my neighbors lives if they set this nut free.
samsnewplace (anonymous) says…
Yes she is really scared that she killed two innocent people and will spend the rest of her life here on earth looking out of bars, exactly what she deserves. Dearest daughter could have grabbed the wheel, shifted the gears, pulled the keys, any number of things, she is just as guilty as momma! Why in the he$$ didn't you idiots stop and let the cops help you "BEFORE" you killed other innocent people?
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
I wonder if she is being coached by her lawyer. this would be part of a strategy to qualify for the insanity defense. would her lawyer do something so coldhearted...think...lawyer...hmmmm. ***Under questioning by her attorney, Billy Rork, Morgan said she and her daughter left their Washington state home and traveled to Lebanon, Mo., to look atproperty to buy. Morgan said she didn't make the purchase, and was followed by a caravan of vehicles and shot at.were the men shooting from hazard county? or, were they reptilian shapeshifters? the trooper was in *a khp marked vehicle FGS*! unfortunately, I fear that mommydearest isn't going to be behind bars in the slammer for life. someday she is going to be set free. where will they release her? the moon? I think that's closer to where she really lives!
ebyrdstarr (anonymous) says…
"Dearest daughter could have grabbed the wheel, shifted the gears, pulled the keys, any number of things, she is just as guilty as momma!"******************************Have you ever tried to pull the keys out of a moving vehicle that was built in the last 15 years? Obviously not (and good thing as that would be a really dangerous thing to do). If you had, you would know that car ignitions have key locks on them that won't allow the key to be removed unless the car is in park. Car manufacturers do this because they recognize how dangerous it would be to yank the key out of a car traveling at highway speeds. So, no, the daughter couldn't have just pulled the keys out.Hmm, maybe she could have switched gears. Yea, like put the car in reverse. That would have been a great idea with all those cars following at rapid speed. That wouldn't have endangered anyone! Or just throwing the car into park would have been good. No risk whatsoever of a spin out or a collision with other cars if the daughter had done that.Certainly, she could have just grabbed the wheel. Because those types of struggles over control of the car always look like such fun in the movies, what with all the weaving through lanes, bouncing off other cars. It never looks like anyone gets seriously hurt, either. Would have been harder for the daughter to get control over the pedals while fighting off her mother and avoiding guardrails, the ditch, and all those other cars.Or she could have just jumped out of the truck doing 90. That wouldn't risk injury to anyone but herself.Yes, you are absolutely correct. Clearly the daughter had a legal and moral obligation to do one of the above things, putting herself and all those in the path of the truck in grave danger. By stubbornly refusing to do any of these things that could have caused serious injury to herself and to others, she failed to disclaim legal responsibility for the actions of the driver. Therefore, she, the passenger in the speeding car, is absolutely and totally just as guilty as the driver, aka the person in control of the car!
vhawk (Veronica Mohr) says…
Scared? What about the innocent construction workers who you killed and "didn't know you hit." What about their families? What about the officers who feared for their safety as well as the safety of other innocent citizens? These women should be put away forever.
Coach_Eric (anonymous) says…
"Driver charged with leading police chase says she was 'really stupid'"/fixed
Puggy (anonymous) says…
I am really glad that our Justice system based on presumed innocence and that is backed by a very strong Constitution; because if they let the Anon B. Nutters who post on these blogs to decide, well then we'd all be in trouble.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
compmdCompmdsays, "They aren't charged with anything close to murder in Osage County. You seem to think they won't be punished here. Name the last murder case here in Douglas County where the defendant was found not guilty."Con1 says " you want facts find them yourself. this is a comment board">>>
samsnewplace (anonymous) says…
ebyrdstarr congrats for a very dramatic explanation, you must have been a drama major, now you are probably an attorney for her defense. Three cheers to the innocent daughter who did nothing and is charged with nothing. OJ would be proud!
ebyrdstarr (anonymous) says…
or, samsnewplace, maybe I'm just an intelligent person capable of rational thought. Maybe I'm just someone who is fed up with the knee-jerk, tough-on-crime crowd who just want to throw everyone in prison, regardless of their actual participation in a crime.Being a captive audience to her mother's actions doesn't make the daughter a criminal. But hey, if I'm wrong, I'm sure you won't mind when the cop issues you a ticket, too, the next time one of your buddies gets pulled over for speeding with you in the car. After all, you didn't try to get him to slow down, did you?
missmagoo (anonymous) says…
ok first of all... gkwhdw and a couple others said 'they' ran down the 2 workers. no, not really.but as for ramona, what a crock. lock her up and throw away the key!
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
yes morgan and her daughter did run down the two workers. that's been well reported. ***she deserves maximum sentence followed by deportation to another country.and it is you liberals who say GWB has caused our standing in the world to drop. so, just where would you deport her? you think that country would just say "okay, we'll take her!" same idiots who want to close gitmo, and we can't send over a hundred of the guests there back to their own countries because those countries *won't take them back*! as I just posted on the newer article, I wish it were possible for the da of dg.co. to add some charges. because right now, her dg.co. charges only add up to max 15 years. some day Ramona I. Morgan is going to be released. what a happy thought.and did nobody in the courtroom ask her: "who were the men in the caravan chasing you?"why were they shooting at you?"wonder, were the men firing flintlocks? did she think she was in the middle of a bad action movie of the '70s? oh, look, there's james garner.
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
well, hawk, there was at least one man in her past who stuck around long enough to produce a daughter! that guy must be a real loser. where is he now? never mentioned in articles all over this story. where is the ex-lover ex-boyfriend, ex-sexpartner ex-abuser or (got forbid) ex-husband of ramona morgan. as to the daughter, did she not know that her mother was in no shape mentally to drive before she got behind the wheel? we have campaigns to encourage friends to take friends' keys away. why not this daughter? and on 9-1-1 she is asking why they're being chased? and please don't shoot us, after she was in a deadly weapon that killed two and severely injured a third! don't think daughter is much better than mommydearest. again, remember, ramona i. morgan is going to be released one day. released here in lawrence? what a happy thought. that is, take keys of friends who are drunk. sorry.
notajayhawk (anonymous) says…
Maybe it was just a LJW typo.Maybe she said she was "really scary."
sdinges (anonymous) says…
ebyrdstarr is right. I don't know what I would do if my mom went nuts while driving a speeding vehicle and hit two people. I have to admit, I probably would have sat there and tried to talk her into stopping, but I wouldn't have done any of the things mentioned.Now, if there was a history of mental illness in my family, and I wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, and my mother had been working on me for a couple of days with her paranoid delusions, I suspect my reaction would be even less heroic.
jonas (anonymous) says…
gnome: "were the men shooting from hazard county? or, were they reptilian shapeshifters? the trooper was in *a khp marked vehicle FGS*!"I want to put my vote down for reptilian shapeshifters. I really think that they need a more visible presence in our society.
Sagecasey (Troy Taylor) says…
Jonas, your warped sense of reality and the fiction that you attempt to write/create are severely twisted as always.
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
I want to put my vote down for reptilian shapeshifters. I really think that they need a more visible presence in our society.--jonas,oh, yeah, we should start a campaign! The Committee to Encourage Reptilian Shapeshifters in Society. CERSS! okay, posters, speeches. hey, we could reserve a room in the kansas union and have one of them give a talk...I hear some KU faculty are really in that group after all.***MD, you were likely a good looking girl then, and you wouldn't have had anything to do with us nerds/geeks. but thanks for the thought!
jonas (anonymous) says…
Well, shoot. I forgot all about this thread, and so missed another appearance of my apparently personal cyberstalker. That's too bad.
jonas (anonymous) says…
multiD: I spent most of high school angry and depressed. It was about 3 years into college that I started evolving towards the happy insanity that I enjoy today. There's a huge amount of difference between:"So many people are idiots, including myself! Graaargh!"and"So many people can be idiots, including myself! Kyaaahahahahaha!"
jonas (anonymous) says…
multiD: I was mostly angry and depressed in high school. It wasn't until my 3rd year in college that I started evolving towards the happy insanity that I enjoy today. Hope this doesn't repeat. The posting system seem to have some glitches today.