Suspected drunk driver pulled from damaged car in citizen's arrest

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A suspected drunk driver was pulled out of a vehicle in a citizen's arrest and the bizarre incident was caught on video.

Alejandro Fernandez said he was taking his family out to eat on Friday when a white Ford Mustang barely missed him.

"I was taking my family to go eat some pizza and we saw him coming towards us and he missed us and I saw the right side of his car gone," Fernandez said.

In the video, 28-year-old Sirkon Ash can be seen driving his white Ford Mustang erratically in and out of traffic along Alabama Street.

FULL VIDEO: Man takes down suspected drunk driver

Someone was recording as a Houston man pulled an alleged drunk driver out of his wrecked car.

"He ran the light, he ran the light," Fernandez said in the video.

Eventually, Ash pulled into the parking lot of Central Market on Westheimer Road.

In the parking lot, Fernandez decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Get out of the car!" he shouted on video.

Fernandez said Ash tried to get away and put the Mustang back in gear.

"I just went to the car and he tried to shut it off, so I put it in park," Fernandez said. "Then I went over to the door and started pulling the guy out. He tried to trip the car back in the gear and that's why I had to keep on trying to pull him."

Houston police told ABC13 that a breathalyzer proved Ash was under the influence. He is charged with a felony DWI -- his third driving while intoxicated offense.

But, what was Fernandez thinking when making the citizen's arrest?

"One of my best friends died because of a drunk driver, so the entire time I was thinking about that," he added. "I'm glad we stopped him. I'm really glad because I didn't want any kids or anybody to get hurt."

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