A late-night police chase out of Hitchcock ended early Saturday when the driver of a GMC Sierra slammed into a pole near Telephone Road and Interstate 610 in southeast Houston, according to police. The 22-year-old driver was taken into custody at the scene and booked into the Galveston County Jail.
According to FOX 26 Houston, the Hitchcock Police Department confirmed the chase began in Hitchcock at around 11:45 p.m. Friday after officers attempted to stop the Sierra and its driver refused to pull over. The pursuit reportedly stretched from Highway 6 to Interstate 45 and then Interstate 10 before the driver doubled back toward the crash site. A separate account from houstonstringer.com describes police saying the driver was weaving and traveling 88 mph in a 55 mph zone before failing to stop for the attempted traffic stop.
The Houston Stringer report also says the driver reached Cavalcade Street and Interstate 45 before making a U-turn and heading back, eventually crashing into the pole at Telephone Road and Loop 610. The crash happened shortly after midnight Saturday, and the site notes that no other vehicles appeared to be involved.
Driver Taken Into Custody, Checked for Injuries
Officials evaluated the suspect for possible injuries and the need for hospital care, per officials cited by FOX 26 Houston. The driver was reportedly the only person inside the vehicle at the time of the crash. Authorities said the 22-year-old had no outstanding warrants.
Hitchcock police took the suspect into custody, according to the same Houston Stringer report, which also credits the Galveston County Sheriff's Office, the Harris County Constable's Office Precinct 2, and the Texas Department of Public Safety with assisting Hitchcock officers during the pursuit. The Hitchcock Police Department is listed as the source for the chase's origin and is now investigating why it occurred in the first place.
A Different Chase, A Different Night
The Hitchcock department has dealt with high-speed pursuits before. In a separate and unrelated incident reported by abc13.com, an officer attempted to stop a driver in a white Dodge Challenger on Highway 6 near Monroe at about 1:15 a.m. Investigators said that suspect struck the officer, who then fired at the vehicle and hit the suspect in the shoulder, with both the officer and the suspect transported to a hospital. That earlier case is a distinct event from Friday night's GMC Sierra pursuit and crash on Telephone Road, and none of its details have been tied to the current case.
For now, the open question in the Telephone Road crash is simply why the driver fled in the first place, something Hitchcock police say they are still working to determine.
