A high-speed police chase through Fort Worth ended in frighteningly close quarters last Friday when a fleeing driver barreled through a gate and into a front yard on Plaza Drive in the Garden Acres neighborhood, stopping about a foot from the home’s dining room window. The impact left cracks in the brickwork, streaks of paint on the bricks and a bumper sitting in the grass, and it left the homeowner shaken by just how narrowly her house was spared.
Fort Worth police say the pursuit came to an abrupt stop at about 2 p.m. when the car crashed into the yard. Officers arrested 20-year-old Samuel Gbadebo at the scene and booked him on suspicion of evading arrest or detention with a vehicle and resisting arrest, and authorities say he also has out-of-town warrants, according to WFAA. Police say the investigation into the chase remains active.
Homeowner Mary Aguado, who bought the house just months ago, told reporters she was “crying and shocked” and remembers saying “not again” after watching the car plow through the cement bollards and large boulders she had installed to protect her yard. She said the vehicle stopped within about a foot of her dining-room window and that officers at the scene told her the city would handle repairs to the damage, WFAA reported.
Neighbors Want Safety Fixes
Residents living at the corner say this is not the first time a car has ended up in a yard there, and they are calling for stronger barriers or a guardrail to keep speeding vehicles from hopping the curb. The crash is feeding into a wider North Texas debate over when police should pursue fleeing drivers, especially after several pursuit-related wrecks in recent years. Local journalists have been digging into the safety risks and policy tradeoffs in detail, including reporting from the Fort Worth Report.
Legal Notes
Gbadebo faces criminal charges tied to the pursuit and remains linked to outstanding out-of-town warrants, according to authorities. The case will move through the normal criminal process, and prosecutors will decide whether to seek any additional charges as investigators continue their review of the chase and crash.
