HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A man and his two passengers were injured following a police chase that ended in a rollover crash on Highway 249 in northwest Harris County.
The incident concluded in the southbound lanes of Highway 249 near Louetta Road, with Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials describing the crash as intense. During the collision, a female passenger was ejected from the vehicle, flying over a concrete barrier and landing on the other side of the highway.
The chase began late Tuesday night in Montgomery County when Precinct 5 deputies attempted to pull over a Chevy Tahoe for a traffic stop. The driver refused to stop, initiating a pursuit down Highway 249.
According to DPS officials, the driver repeatedly exited and re-entered the highway and feeder road. Just past Louetta Road, the driver attempted to cross a grass median to return to the highway. However, he lost control of the vehicle, which then crossed all the southbound lanes, crashed into the center divider, and rolled over.
The driver was partially ejected and became pinned under the wreckage. The ejected female passenger was thrown across the concrete barrier, landing in the northbound lanes. Both were transported to a hospital in The Woodlands in critical condition. The second passenger sustained minor injuries.
The crash resulted in the closure of Highway 249 lanes for several hours overnight. The road has since been reopened.
Investigators are still determining why the driver chose to flee from the police, which will be a focus of their ongoing investigation.
