Beloved Strawberry Farm Owner and Mother of Six Killed in Fiery I-64 Crash Caused by Fleeing Suspect

Kanawha County woman Angela Born died in a fiery I-64 crash after Joseph Elswick fled police in a stolen Jeep at 120 mph. Read the full tragedy here.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 6, 2026, 10:29 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from WSAZ

A Pursuit Ending in Unthinkable Tragedy

A high-speed police pursuit that spanned two counties ended in a fatal, fiery collision on Interstate 64 Thursday, claiming the life of a pillar of the Kanawha County community. Putnam County Sheriff Bobby Eggleton confirmed that Angela Born, a mother of six and operator of a popular strawberry farm and bed-and-breakfast near Clendenin, died at the scene. Born was traveling eastbound near mile marker 34 when her vehicle was struck from behind by a suspect attempting to evade capture despite having his tires flattened by police spike strips. "Mrs. Born was driving down the road, minding her own business," Sheriff Eggleton said. "A bad guy takes her life."

The Theft of a Vehicle and a Firearm

The sequence of events began at approximately 2:37 p.m. when Joseph Elswick’s grandmother reported that her grandson had stolen her red 2025 Jeep Cherokee Sport and her purse from her residence on Hurricane Creek Road. According to criminal complaints, the grandmother warned deputies that Elswick had recently purchased a firearm and might be armed. Within 11 minutes, deputies located the stolen Jeep on Trace Creek in Putnam County. When officers attempted a traffic stop using lights and sirens, Elswick allegedly accelerated, initiating a pursuit that would eventually reach speeds of up to $120$ mph.

Reckless Flight Across County Lines

As Elswick fled from Trace Creek toward Johns Creek, he reportedly swerved into oncoming traffic and drove with total disregard for public safety. The pursuit briefly crossed into Cabell County before Elswick entered I-64 Eastbound at the Milton ramp. Hurricane Police successfully deployed spike strips near mile marker 34, shredding the Jeep’s tires. However, Elswick continued to flee on his rims, ultimately slamming into the rear of Born’s vehicle. The impact was so severe that it triggered a vehicle fire, forcing emergency crews to shut down the interstate in both directions for over six hours as investigators processed the wreckage.