A stolen Pontiac Firebird had been careening east across Alamance and Orange counties. Two Highway Patrol cars were in pursuit but were half a mile behind the stolen vehicle when it collided with the Domino family's Blazer.
Mary Kay and Tony Domino were on their way back home to Raleigh from a visit to Maria's grandparents in Ohio. Maria was not in her car seat. The impact threw her onto the four-lane highway.
The Blazer came to rest upside-down. The Dominos managed to extricate themselves from the wreckage. They were later treated and released from UNC Hospitals.
After the wreck, the Firebird's occupants ran into nearby woods and vanished. Authorities used dogs and a helicopter in an unsuccessful attempt to find them.
Nonetheless, Maurice Ormond, 28, of Durham, was arrested Monday. Police said they think he was the passenger in the Firebird. Ormond was charged with possession of the stolen car, being an accessory to speeding to elude arrest, and possession of a weapon of mass destruction, a Marlin 30/30 rifle that was found in the car. He's in Orange County jail on a $125,000 secured bond.
The Firebird's driver has not been identified.
Maria's parents donated their child's liver to an organ donor program.
Services for Maria will be held today in the memorial garden of St. Francis of Assissi Catholic Church in Raleigh.
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