Mom leads police on chase after officers respond to child left in car outside bar

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ/Gray News) – A mother in West Virginia is facing charges after police responded to a call for a child found alone inside a car parked outside of a bar early Tuesday morning.

According to a criminal complaint, officers responded to the bar in Huntington around 1:30 a.m. and approached Tori Lycans.

The officers said Lycans told them the car did not belong to her. However, they said she got into the passenger side of the vehicle before climbing into the driver’s side to drive away.

Police followed and turned on their emergency lights but said Lycans continued to drive away at a high speed until she crashed her vehicle into a light pole near an intersection.

At the scene of the crash, officers took Lycans into custody and placed her in a police vehicle.

According to documents, Lycans began to hit her head and kick the patrol car while in the back of the vehicle. Officers said she tried to get out of the vehicle when an officer opened the door to tell her to stop.

WSAZ reports Lycans was also accused of kicking an officer several times and kneeing an officer in the face.

Lycans was reportedly taken to the Huntington Police Department for processing, and child protective services were notified about the child being found in a car seat in the back of the vehicle unrestrained.

Police said the child was taken to the hospital.

Lycans is facing a number of charges, which include obstructing an officer, fleeing from an officer, operating a vehicle with reckless indifference, child neglect creating a risk of injury, driving with a license revoked for DUI and driving under the influence.

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