HOUSTON – A high-speed police chase in northeast Houston ended Thursday morning when a female robbery suspect crashed into a truck.
The crash happened at Mesa Drive and Tidwell Road when the woman ran a red light and slammed into a semi-tractor that was driving through the intersection, police said.
The woman is accused of robbing a Subway restaurant on Jan. 10, police said. She and another woman allegedly cleaned out the cash drawer and threatened to kill an employee with a rifle, police said.
After receiving tips on the woman’s whereabouts, police attempted to pull over the suspect’s car at the intersection of Normandy Street and Woodforest Boulevard, but she sped off, police said. The woman led the officers on a chase down the East Freeway, then onto the 610 Loop at speeds above 120 mph, police said.
“The suspect refused to pull over. She continued to Kirkpatrick Street where she hit a wall on the highway. Officers continued to pursue the suspect, at which point she exited the freeway, driving at high rate speed, so officers continued in pursuit,” said Lt. Lewis Parker, with the Houston Police Department.
The chase didn’t last much longer.
At Mesa Drive and Tidwell Road, the driver ran a red light and slammed into the rear of that semi-tractor.
Witness Gabriel Garcia said he was surprised someone wasn’t killed.
“Its crazy man,” Garcia said. “I thought they were going to hit somebody. If they hadn’t hit the truck, they would have killed somebody.”
Three women were pulled from the crashed vehicle and were not seriously injured, officials said.
The driver was arrested while ger two passengers were questioned and released.
So far, police are not releasing the suspect’s name. They still need to put her in a line-up to see if she can be positively identified in the Subway robbery, police said.
She is also facing three, unrelated misdemeanor charges. Two for theft, and one on a family violence charge.