[chron]Chase ends in E. Houston crash

Jayou · Jan 15, 2009

I don't know what to say.......this is super messed up.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6212453.html

Two teenagers remain in a Houston hospital with critical injuries today after the car in which they were riding was struck by a patrol car that authorities said a woman had stolen from a Harris County deputy constable.

Houston police are awaiting results of tests to determine whether the woman, who also is in a hospital with injuries from the crash, was intoxicated when she took the car and led officers on a high-speed chase late Wednesday.

The woman crashed the Precinct 7 patrol car about 10:20 p.m. while attempting to drive between a Chevrolet Lumina and an 18-wheel truck on Interstate 10 near Wayside in east Houston, police said.

The patrol car struck both the Lumina and the truck, along with a Volkswagen Beetle, police said.

The two teenagers were taken to Ben Taub General Hospital, where they remain in critical condition.

Another teenager in the Lumina was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital with minor injuries, police said.

The injured teens’ names have not been released. Authorities also have not given their ages or gender.

The crash ended a chase that began about 9:50 p.m. after a Precinct 7 deputy constable was sent to investigate a car parked in the middle of South Sam Houston Parkway near Blackhawk on the county’s south side.

“(The deputy) left his vehicle to see why the lady was in the car and why she wasn’t moving,” said Precinct 7 spokeswoman Pamela Greenwood.

The woman was unresponsive at first, Greenwood said.

“He was trying to get her to get moving or find out what the situation was,” she said.

The woman then got out of the car and immediately began fighting with the deputy, who suffered minor injuries in the struggle, officials said.

The woman, whose name has not been disclosed, tried to grab the deputy’s gun before running to his patrol car and driving away, Greenwood said.

The deputy called for help and deputies from the Precinct 2 and Precinct 8 constables' offices pursued the patrol car for about 20 minutes before the crash, Greenwood said

The drivers of the truck and the Volkswagen were not injured, police said.
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dskillz · Jan 15, 2009

I am thinking drunk or high. Maybe both.

That is a messed up story.

Oski2005 · Jan 15, 2009

It sounds like a Reno 911 sketch. Why don't police officers take the key out of the ignition? Does the car need to be running for their computer to work?

Jayou · Jan 16, 2009

Story updated. Apparently she's a friggin' whale (5'7", 285 lbs) who'd have to be MRI'ed at the zoo.....that's how she was able to overpower the sherriff's deputy.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6214492.html

A woman who authorities say stole a deputy constable’s squad car, led police on a chase and crashed into other vehicles, critically injuring two teenagers, has been charged with several felonies related to the incident.

Catrinna J. Miller, 23, was charged late Thursday with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, evading arrest and disarming a police officer.

All of the charges are state-jail felonies. Miller is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

A man at Miller’s home in the Cypress area in northwest Harris County declined to comment Thursday night, saying he did not know anything about the crash.

Harris County Precinct 7 Constable May Walker said the incident began when one of her deputies was dispatched to find out why the woman’s car was blocking a southbound lane of the Sam Houston Tollway between Telephone Road and Blackhawk just before 10 p.m. Wednesday.

At first, the woman refused to speak or even look at the deputy, but within minutes the two were tangled in an all-out brawl in the middle of the Tollway as traffic whizzed by, Walker said Thursday.

“They had a knock-down, drag-out fight,” Walker said. “I think she was just really high on something.”

Police said that Miller is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 285 pounds. The constable said Miller tried to wrestle the deputy’s guns from him before driving away in his patrol car.

Officers gave chase, pursuing the rogue patrol car through east Houston until Miller crashed it into a Chevrolet Lumina, a Volkswagen Beetle and an 18-wheeler on Interstate 10 near Wayside, police said.

The teenage boys, whose identities and ages were not released, were in the Lumina. They remained in critical condition late Thursday at Ben Taub General Hospital.

A third teen in the car was taken to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center with minor injuries, Houston police said.

Miller also was taken to a hospital. Police are awaiting test results to determine whether she was intoxicated.

According to Walker, the deputy, whose name was not released, had approached Miller’s car and knocked repeatedly on the windows. When she did not respond, he opened the driver’s side door. The deputy placed his right hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him, Walker said.

“I’m out of gas,” Miller told him.

Walker said that as the deputy stepped away and reached for his radio to call a wrecker, Miller made a beeline for his patrol car.

Walker said the deputy tried to block Miller with his arm, but she pushed him against the vehicle and both fell to the pavement. As he struggled to hold Miller down, Walker said, the deputy radioed for backup, but Miller fought her way free and crawled to the patrol car, which had its engine running and lights on. It’s standard procedure for deputies to leave the key in the lock and ignition on when responding to a call, Walker said.

She said the deputy rushed to grab his loaded shotgun, which was lying on the front seat of the patrol car. He hit Miller over the head with his flashlight and tried to pull her out of the car, but she continued to struggle, trying to pull his pistol out of his holster, the constable said. He managed to wrest his guns away, but she made off with his keys and his car, Walker said.

The deputy was treated by paramedics at the scene for injuries to his head, hand and body.

“He’s taking off for a couple of days, trying to get himself together,” Walker said.

Chronicle reporters Mike Glenn and Jennifer Latson contributed to this story.

[email protected]
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yobod · Jan 16, 2009

I hope the kids that are injured end up ok after all this. I also hope that the punishment this b***h gets for endangering so many people fits the crime. I wonder what her reaction was after she sobered up from whatever she was on.

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