Teen in stolen car hit and killed 19-year-old motorcyclist during chase in N. Houston, HPD says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A 19-year-old motorcyclist is dead after he was struck by a teenager fleeing from officers in a stolen vehicle in north Houston, police said.

According to the Houston Police Department, officers witnessed two vehicles street racing on I-45 near Gulfbank Road at 2:08 a.m. on Monday.

An officer got up on the highway and called for backup. That's when the suspect seemingly saw the officer and accelerated even more, well over 100 mph, police said.

The officer pursued the suspect, who was driving a Kia, HPD said. They continued northbound on I-45 until, about six minutes later, the suspect exited at FM-1960.

Investigators said the suspect was still speeding when he blew through a red light at the intersection of the I-45 feeder road and FM-1960.

At the same time, police said a 19-year-old riding a motorcycle was traveling through the intersection, going eastbound on FM-1960.

The suspect struck the young motorcyclist in what police called a "horrendous" crash and continued half a mile down the road until the Kia stopped, seemingly due to damage from the crash.

HPD said the primary officer chasing the suspect stopped immediately and tried to perform CPR on the victim, but the 19-year-old, identified as Andres Sorto by the medical examiner's office on Tuesday, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Meanwhile, another unit followed the suspect as he took off on foot when the Kia stopped. According to HPD, officers captured him soon after.

"We have a complainant who won't go home to his family because a suspect in a stolen vehicle refused to stop and ran from police and ended up killing him in an intersection. We do need stronger laws when it comes to fleeing from police. We need our legislature and our elected officials to revisit this and raise the penalties for this because it is so dangerous," Exec. Asst. Chief Larry Satterwhite said. "It is no different than firing a gun into a crowd or anything else. When you're on the road, fleeing from the police at these high rates of speed, the damage that you can cause can be horrendous. Just like it was this morning."

HPD said the suspect was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The investigation is ongoing, but police said he could face felony murder charges. He was described as a teenager, but investigators said his exact age was not yet confirmed.

Investigators believe the Kia was stolen on Sunday evening or early Monday morning.

Because the crash happened outside of the city, the Harris County Sheriff's Office is conducting the investigation. The District Attorney's Office is also investigating.

HPD said the primary officer in the chase has been with the department for three years. He will be placed on administrative duty, per the department's policy.

Houston police edited their pursuit policy in September after another fatal crash involving suspects fleeing police.

The policy bans pursuits for minor thefts, traffic violations, and misdemeanor warrants. It also mandates a supervisor approve every pursuit.

A spokesperson for the police department could not verify if this pursuit was approved by a supervisor but said all facets of the pursuit are part of their internal investigation.