A police officer crashed into an innocent driver while trying to chase a suspect in northwest Houston overnight.
According to Houston police, the officer was doing proactive patrolling as part of the Overtime Crime Reduction Unit and noticed a suspicious vehicle at 1:15 a.m. Tuesday. The vehicle is reportedly linked to a crime involving stolen catalytic converters.
The officer saw the car run a red light, and when he pulled the suspect over, he refused to roll his window down and took off, police said.
The chase lasted about six minutes before the officer collided with a woman in her 50s in a Toyota Corolla at the intersection of Fairbanks and West Little York.
The crash caused the officer to run off the road. His vehicle caught fire, and the woman he collided with had to be extracted from her car, according to HPD.
“I got hit in the intersection. My car is on fire,” the officer could be heard reporting on radio traffic. “I’m okay. I can’t tell about the other car.”
Video from the scene shows just how badly smashed both vehicles are. Firefighters could be seen rescuing the woman from her vehicle.
HPD said the woman underwent exploratory surgery after complaining of abdominal pain.
The 33-year-old officer, who has been with the department for three years, was not seriously hurt, according to HPD.
“That was his primary concern as soon as they had the accident was the safety of the citizen he had the accident with,” Assistant Chief Thomas Hardin said. “He’s a little shaken up, wanted to make sure she was OK, but he’s thankful, so far, that it appears she’s alright.”
The suspect got away.