DPS: Fleeing driver's pickup crashes into three vehicles Tuesday in Clay County

Trish Choate, Wichita Falls Times Record News
·2 min read
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A man in a pickup allegedly fleeing troopers and other officers hit two Clay County Sheriff's Department units and an innocent motorist's vehicle during a chase Tuesday morning, a Texas Department Public Safety spokesman said in a media release.

The driver of the fleeing truck, Edward Sebastian Martinez Ward, 21, was charged with evading arrest or detention with a motor vehicle and two counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, DPS Sgt. Juan L. Gutierrez said in a media release.

There were no reported injuries, Gutierrez said.

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At about 10:19 a.m. Tuesday, troopers with the Texas Highway Patrol responded to a call regarding a reckless driver in U.S. Highway 287 near Bellevue, he said.

A trooper tried to conduct a traffic stop in a red 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The driver refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued.

Troopers, Clay County deputies, and the Clay County constable pursued the Chevrolet north on U.S. Highway 287 as it weaved between vehicles and passed others on the shoulder, reaching speeds up to 90 mph.

The Silverado struck two Clay County deputy units and another vehicle. A trooper performed a precision immobilization technique maneuver, causing the Chevrolet to spin into the median.

The driver was able to cross the median and continue south on US 287. He took the exit to New York Road, turned around and continued North on U.S. Highway 287.

A trooper successfully deployed spikes to stop the pickup, but the suspect briefly continued north on a rim before veering off the road and through a fence.

The suspect continued into a field and got stuck in the mud, Gutierrez said. Troopers, along with other officers, apprehended him and arrested him without further incident.

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Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Read her recent work here. Her X handle is @Trishapedia.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Driver of pickup hit three vehicles Tuesday in Clay County