Woman in critical condition after HPD officers crash into uninvolved car during SW Houston chase
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A woman is in critical condition after Houston police say a patrol car crashed into her vehicle during a chase in southwest Houston. She wasn't even involved in the chase.
The chase ended in a dramatic crash just before 1 a.m. Thursday on Highway 6 at Beechnut Street in the Mission Bend area. It's one of three chase crashes that happened across the Houston area overnight.
SEE ALSO: Suspect dies after being ejected in crash in The Woodlands during chase with Montgomery Co. deputies
Video shows just how intense the impact was. It's hard to even tell what kind of car was hit.
According to the Houston Police Department, westside officers pulled over a driver because the license plate didn't match the make and model of the car. They say the driver pulled over at first, but as the officer went up to the car, the driver took off, and the officers chased after.
It's unclear how long the chase lasted before the crash at the corner of Highway 6 and Beechnut.
HPD says the patrol vehicle crashed into a car with a 27-year-old woman inside. She was not involved and just happened to be driving in the area when the chase came through the intersection.
Police told ABC13 that the woman had to be extracted from the car by firefighters and taken by Life Flight to the medical center, where she is in critical condition but expected to survive.
HPD Chief Troy Finner said the officers involved in the crash have been relieved from duty pending an internal affairs investigation.
"The Houston Police Department recognizes the inherent danger of pursuing a suspect fleeing in a motor vehicle. When an officer is involved in a pursuit, the incident is reviewed at several levels," Finner said in a statement.
ABC13 spoke with a man who says he saw what happened and is thankful his car didn't get hit in all of this.
"There was a car going immediately fast, coming straight from that way. It was throwing sparks on the ground, going how fast he was. The light was already green, but all the cars waited. Police doing their job trying to catch up. Unfortunately, I believe he ran into the other car," Seth Arrizola said.
ABC13 asked HPD how fast the patrol car was going. They said that will be part of the ongoing investigation.
Investigators said there is video of the crash, including body-worn camera footage. That video will be part of their investigation, which will help determine how fast the cars were going, the timing of how it played out, and determine fault.
For more news updates, follow Courtney Carpenter on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
