Deborah Hodges

Vehic/Purs

Officer Patrick Spresser was responding to a possible fire, which turned out to be a man burning leaves or trash in a chimineylike container about 9 a.m. As Spresser rounded a blind curve, his unmarked Ford Crown Victoria sped through the intersection against the light and collided with a 1994 Ford Explorer driven by Deborah Hodges. Hodges was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at a hospital. Hodges' daughter sustained what police described as nonlife-threatening injuries, as did Spresser. While police and city officials said that the patrol car had lights and sirens on, some witnesses said otherwise.