METRORail train derails after crash with chase suspect in stolen car, HPD says
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man accused of driving a stolen car during a chase that ended with a METRORail train derailing on the red line is in custody, according to police.
The chase happened overnight just north of downtown Houston.
Cleanup was still underway by midday Wednesday, impacting traffic in the area. Officials said it would likely take several more hours.
If you're driving, avoid N. Main Street at Quitman Street. If you plan to ride the METRORail, particularly the red line, you'll need to catch a shuttle bus instead.
Video captured the moment the suspect was arrested by Houston police officers at 11:45 p.m. Tuesday. Officers commanded the suspect to get out of a crashed BMW. Investigators said the car was stolen.
The chase started several miles north at N. Shepherd Drive and Veterans Memorial Drive. Police said a mismatched license plate caught the eye of an officer. The plate on the BMW was reportedly registered to a GMC Yukon.
An officer executed a traffic stop and claimed to have spotted drugs in the suspect's car -- marijuana and ecstasy. At that point, the driver reportedly took off south on I-45, leading police on a chase that stretched from north Houston to the edge of downtown.
At times, police said the suspect was driving more than 120 mph.
The driver exited on N. Main Street, and that's when police said he collided with the METRORail, pushing it off the tracks.
"This guy was speeding, trying to beat the train," witness Landon Wright said. "There were three cops behind him, and he ran right into the front of the train."
Police said this is not the first time the suspect has led police on a chase. He's reportedly been arrested three different times for felony evading and has a warrant out of Montgomery County for possession of marijuana.
Officials said three people on board the train sustained minor injuries. The operator was not hurt, a METRO spokesperson said.
The suspect was not seriously injured in the crash, according to police.
Police said he will likely face a charge of possession of a controlled substance.
METRO Houston says shuttle buses will replace service on the red line of the METRORail between the Burnett Transit Center and the Northline Transit Center. A spokesperson said the shuttles will arrive every six to 12 minutes.
Shuttles will remain in service until further notice, according to METRO.
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