Woman Accused of Heroin Possession, High-Speed Chase in Court This Week

A Penn Hills woman was in court this week on charges that she led police on a high-speed chase that traveled from through Wilkinsburg and ended with a crash in after she tried to steal items from a Rite Aid.

Jody Lynn Cartwright, 28, of Penn Hills waived her right to a preliminary hearing this week before on charges including accident involving damage to property, recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, fleeing an officer, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended, reckless driving and criminal mischief.

Forest Hills police responded to a call on the afternoon of April 12 at the Rite Aid store on Yost Boulevard. Workers at the store said a woman was trying to take items out of the business and was confronted by employees, according to the police criminal complaint. After being caught, she agreed to pay and promptly left.

Forest Hills police were told that she was sitting at a red light in traffic as they were on their way to the scene. Officers pulled up beside Cartwright and asked her to pull over, stating they needed clarification from her on what happened at Rite Aid.

Cartwright then continued to drive up Ardmore Boulevard, ignoring police, and attempting to get onto the Parkway at the Monroeville ramp, crashing into a guard rail.

From there, she drove down Penn Avenue and into Wilkinsburg, making it to Swissvale Avenue to Elm Street in Edgewood.

Edgewood police assisted as the high-speed chase ended with a crash near the corner of Elm and Chestnut into a tree, according to the complaint.

After the car crashed, Cartwright fled the vehicle and ran from police, who then caught her in a backyard.

After a search, it was reported that police found 10 needles, one open and used bag of suspected heroin and 14 Xanax pills in a baggie.