PULASKI COUNTY, MO — A St. Robert woman has been charged with second-degree murder after a late-August police pursuit ended in a crash that killed her passenger in Pulaski County. Court documents say the case stems from an Aug. 30 incident that began with reports of shots fired near Texas Road and Tampa Road.

Gracie L. Hutchinson, 25, is also charged with unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated fleeing a stop resulting in death. Investigators say deputies tried to stop the truck she was driving, but it did not pull over and instead led authorities on a chase that ended in a violent wreck.

Witness report led deputies to the pickup truck

According to a probable cause statement, a witness told authorities they saw someone get out of the passenger side of a pickup truck and fire multiple shots. Deputies later found the vehicle and attempted to make a traffic stop.

That stop did not happen. Instead, investigators say the driver kept going, setting off a pursuit that moved quickly from the initial shots-fired call to a high-risk chase. The charges filed against Hutchinson reflect both the alleged weapon use and the decision to flee from law enforcement.

The original law-enforcement response centered on the report of gunfire. From there, the encounter escalated into a crash investigation that ultimately produced the more serious charge of second-degree murder after the passenger died.

Investigators say the truck was moving faster than 65 mph

Authorities said the pickup struck a tree at more than 65 mph in a 25 mph zone. The crash ejected both people inside the truck, according to investigators and crash records.

Hutchinson and her passenger, a 24-year-old man from Weatherford, Texas, were flown to University Hospital in Columbia with serious injuries, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. The speed listed in the crash investigation underscores how quickly the situation turned deadly after the pursuit began.

The crash report also says neither occupant was wearing a seat belt. That detail was included in the updated report after the passenger later died from his injuries.

Passenger died two days after the crash

The 24-year-old passenger died Sept. 2, according to the updated crash report. His death is what appears to have prompted the murder charge now facing Hutchinson, in addition to the other felony counts tied to the pursuit.

Court records identify the passenger as a man from Weatherford, Texas. No additional details about his condition between the crash and his death were included in the filing information provided.

The combination of reported gunfire, a failed traffic stop and the fatal wreck has made the case one of the most serious criminal matters to emerge from the incident. Prosecutors are now pursuing charges that go beyond the initial pursuit allegations.

Bond cut in half with medical exceptions

Hutchinson’s bond was reduced from $500,000 to $250,000 cash or surety, according to a stipulation and order filed Friday. The updated bond arrangement also includes specific permission for her to leave Pulaski County for medical needs.

The order allows her to travel for medical appointments, procedures, surgery, therapy and meetings with legal counsel, as long as she gives advance notice to court supervision officials. Those exceptions were built into the bond change while other conditions remain in place.

All previously established bond terms still apply, according to the filing. The court action signals that the case is continuing to move through the pretrial process while Hutchinson deals with medical issues tied to the crash.

Felony case now centers on the chase and fatal outcome

Hutchinson’s charges include second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated fleeing a stop resulting in death. Together, the counts link the reported gunfire, the refusal to stop and the deadly crash into one criminal case.

The incident began with a shots-fired call on Aug. 30 and ended with a fatality nearly two days later. Officials have not said whether the passenger who was allegedly seen firing shots was the same person who died in the crash, but the case records tie the events together through the pursuit and resulting death.

For now, the case remains anchored in court filings and crash records that outline a rapid sequence of events: a weapons complaint, a chase, a high-speed wreck and a death. Those facts now form the basis of the prosecution.