Baby girl hurled from car during Wisconsin police chase

Police officers in a high-speed car chase in Wisconsin were shocked when the door of the car being pursued was abruptly opened and a baby hurled out on to the busy road.

Police officers in a high-speed car chase in Wisconsin were shocked when the door of the car being pursued was abruptly opened and a baby hurled out on to the busy road.

The astonishing scene was captured by a camera attached to a police cruiser. Segments of the video were shown by news channels yesterday.

Officials said the drama began when Dana Bettin, 23, from the Oshkosh area of Wisconsin, had a domestic dispute with his fiancé and drove away with their eight-month-old daughter, prompting the police chase. He rammed one of the police cars, then sped away.

With the police in hot pursuit, Bettin braked abruptly and threw the child, strapped in a safety seat, from his vehicle, as is clearly seen on the police video.

She was quickly retrieved by officers and was not injured.

Bettin again sped away and a chase that sometimes reached speeds of 100mph only ended when Bettin hit another, unoccupied, police car. He was pinned under his own car and died in hospital late on Sunday from his injuries, three days after the crash.

Sergeant David Catalano, of the Wisconsin state patrol, told NBC's Today show yesterday: "I will never forget the look on the baby's face. As the baby was flying toward me she was crying very hard and looked scared."

The baby has been reunited with her mother.