HOUSTON – On Wednesday afternoon, Morgan Scoville thought he was just going for his average run by Buffalo Bayou, but this time he witnessed a hit-and-run.
"I saw two men jump out of a black car and start running,” said Scoville.
Scoville said he saw a Chevy Tahoe bump into a black SUV. The SUV rolled over and crashed into a telephone pole.
“When I saw the car roll and hit the telephone pole, I thought the people inside were dead,” Scoville said.
Scoville said the two men inside the Chevy Tahoe started to run from the scene, and Scoville started chasing them.
“There is no way that they can outrun me,” Scoville said.
Scoville is a marathon runner who has 16 marathons under his belt and averages six minutes a mile. He kept chasing the suspects and asked people he came across to call police.
The suspects' luck ran out again. The officer responding to the scene was Houston’s chief of police.
“We caught one right away,” Chief Art Acevedo said.
The second suspect was arrested shortly after. Acevedo said the arrest wouldn't have been possible without people like Scoville.
“They are the greatest force multiplier,” Acevedo said.
Scoville said he never thought twice about chasing down the two men.
“It was the right thing to do and I knew I had the skill set to make it happen,” he said.
Houston police arrested 18-year-old Shakur Tyrese Bishop and charged him with evading on foot. They also arrested 21-year-old Delvonte Squire Wright for evading on foot and failure to render aid.
The car they were driving was reported stolen, according to police.