KANSAS CITY, KAN. --- Graciela E. Olivas, 62, was identified as the woman killed during a police chase in Kansas City, Kan., Monday night.
Olivas, the mother of KCTV 5 reporter Sandra Olivas, was killed after Christopher B. Stewart's vehicle crashed head-on into the vehicle Olivas was driving.
Stewart was fleeing from police and hit the vehicle at around 6:45 p.m. on Monday. He is currently in custody and being held on two charges. The Kansas Highway Patrol is still investigating the case.
In a statement provided to local media, Sandra Olivas expressed gratitude for the support her family has received.
"The family wishes to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Graciela was a beloved wife, mother and grandmother. She was the center of our lives and words cannot express our immense grief and sadness," the Olivas family said in a statement released from KCTV 5. "We ask that you respect our privacy at this time."
Stewart has previously served time in prison on a drug charge.
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