Houston police chase ends in fiery crash between patrol SUV, innocent driver
HOUSTON - A police chase in northwest Houston ended in a fiery crash between a patrol vehicle and an innocent driver, authorities say.
The officer was able to get out of his vehicle, which burst into flames, and the other driver was taken to the hospital.
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The incident began around 1 a.m. Tuesday when an officer ran a license plate and recognized the last name and the address on the vehicle as potentially being involved in a prior catalytic converter theft case from a couple of months ago, police say.
According to HPD, the officer saw the vehicle pull into a senior living facility, and after the officer drove past, the vehicle made a U-turn and ran a red light.
The officer initiated a traffic stop. Police say the suspect wouldn’t roll his window down and then drove off.
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The officer pursued the vehicle. The chase lasted about six minutes, authorities say.
While pursuing the suspect, police say the officer’s patrol vehicle and another innocent driver’s vehicle collided at the intersection of West Little York and Fairbanks North Houston.
The officer got out of his vehicle as it caught fire. He was not transported to the hospital.
The other driver, a 53-year-old woman, was taken to the hospital. Police say she was awake and talking, but had abdominal pain.
The suspect vehicle got away. It is unclear how many people were in the suspect vehicle. A description of the vehicle has not been released.