A Georgia teenager who made headlines after a hospital initially refused to give him a heart but later changed its mind was killed in a car accident Tuesday while he was being pursued by police for a series of alleged crimes.
Anthony Stokes, 17, died at a hospital after he struck a pedestrian and crashed into a pole while being chased by the cops, Roswell police spokeswoman Lisa Holland told CNN. Before the chase, police say Stokes, who received a heart transplant in 2013, stole a car from a mall, broke into an elderly woman's Roswell home and shot her before fleeing the scene in an SUV.
The driver was later identified as Stokes, who was previously turned down for a heart transplant at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta due to his "history of non-compliance," the station reported.
A spokesman for the teen's family, Mark Bell, told CNN in 2013 the hospital said Stokes' history of bad grades and time in juvenile detention played a part in its decision.
"I guess he didn't think Anthony was going to be a productive citizen," Bell previously said of the doctor's decision.
The hospital changed its mind and gave Stokes a heart a week after his story gained national attention.
Police said the SUV was nearly split in half when Stokes lost control and hit the pole. The injured pedestrian, Clementina Hernandez, is in stable condition, AJC.com reported.
Those who supported Stokes expressed disappointment over what happened, especially after everything that was done to save his life.
"We got this young man a second chance in life," Reverend Samuel Mosteller, of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference which advocated for the patient, told CNN.
Back in 2013, Stokes said he wanted a new heart "so I can live a second chance," AJC.com reported.
"Get a second chance and do things I want to do," Stokes said.
