HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss.—A Holly Springs shop owner on a roller coaster of emotions after suspected shoplifter gets in a horrible accident Thursday afternoon.
In less than half an hour Angie Vanzant went from furious to heart-broken.
“It just takes you in a world wind,” Vanzant said.
It all started when the shop owner got a call from one of her employees after a woman was allegedly spotted stuffing a bag full of clothes that weren’t paid for.
“As i pulled up she was walking out the door,” Vanzant said.
Vanzant confronted her, followed the suspect to her car and snapped a picture of her license plate before she sped off.
“I was furious at the time,” Vanzant said.
Holly Springs police spotted the car minutes later and a chase ensued.
Police say it ended when the driver hit a tree, collided with a truck and landed in on-coming traffic after being thrown from the vehicle.
“I was devastated. My first thought was if she would have just handed me that bag I probably would not have called the cops,” Vanzant said.
It was an emotional swing Vanzant wasn’t ready for.
“I mean this is in a 15 minute time span. In my mind I’m thinking if I can get my hands on her and then a few minutes later I was almost in tears worried about whether or not she was going to make it back home,” Vanzant said. “And then thinking about her family and whether she has children.”
Vanzant is praying for the suspect’s recovery and wants to see her again.
“I would like to tell her that I do forgive her and I hope she learns from this. And maybe teach other people it’s just not worth it. It’s not worth your life,” Vanzant said.