A public information officer with the Houston Police Department told ABC13 that the boy's mother filed a missing persons report at approximately 7:45 that evening.
She reportedly told the department that the boy left the family's Houston home 24 hours earlier. She said she believed he was driving her car.
The Pearland Police Department said the teen's family had been tailing him in a separate car. Wednesday, at approximately 9:50 p.m., both parties were at the intersection of Country Place Parkway and Hughes Ranch Road when the teen ran a red light and turned onto the highway.
At the same time, police said the family honked their horn at a nearby Pearland police officer and pointed to the Kia the teen was driving.
Reportedly not knowing that a teenager was behind the wheel, the officer activated their lights and sirens and began chasing him. Within one minute, the boy had crashed into the barrier along SH-288 north, near the Harris-Brazoria County line.
The teen then attempted to run across all northbound and HOV lanes of the highway before he was hit in the southbound lanes and died. There are 12 lanes of traffic along that section of the highway.
"It's an extremely tragic case," Pearland police officer Chad Rogers said. "It's hard to say with the pursuit. The officer went with what they knew at the time."
Rogers said he does not anticipate charges being filed against any party involved in the crash. He said that the driver who struck the teen stopped to render aid.
"Which is what we ask people to do," he said about stopping to render aid.
The teen was pronounced dead at Ben Taub Hospital, and his name has not yet been released.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Pearland Police Department at 281-997-4100.