UPDATE: Man charged in Haverhill crash that trapped pregnant woman in vehicle

May 11--Diane Andrews, an insurance agent in Groveland and the mother of the injured woman, Deanna Clarke, 24, of Haverhill, said her daughter suffered a compound fracture of her right arm and that doctors had to perform an emergency C-section as they were concerned about possible brain damage to the baby.

She said her daughter was in her seventh month of her pregnancy and that the baby weighed an estimated 2.3 to 2.6 pounds.

As of 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Andrews was unaware of the status of the baby. She said she was on her way to Mass General to see her daughter. Andrews said her daughter's passenger was a friend of her daughter, named Dale Tenney.

"If the baby dies, this should be a murder charge," Andrews said. "My daughter told me that she was yelling out the window to the other driver to leave her alone, then the man rammed her Jeep."

Andrews said she was unaware of what led to the incident.

The Essex District Attorney's Office announced that Josef Leavitt, 24, is expected to be arraigned today in Haverhill District Court for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with a motor vehicle crash early Tuesday evening on Middle Road in Haverhill. The driver of Jeep Cherokee, which Leavitt allegedly struck, was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital and is in critical condition.

She is 24-year-old pregnant woman. Her male passenger suffered only minor injuries. Addresses for Leavitt and the injured woman and the age of the woman's male passenger were not available at this time.

Local and state police are investigating what witnesses described as a high-speed chase involving the Jeep and another vehicle about 6:15 p.m.

The Jeep went off the road and into some trees near the entrance to Turkey Hill Farm, trapping the woman, according to witnesses.

After the Jeep crashed, the driver of the other vehicle stopped, took an item from the Jeep and then sped away, witnesses told police.

Watch EagleTribune.com for updates on Tuesday's arraignment of the man who was charged.

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