Pursuit of stolen police vehicle ends in accident 
Thursday, March 15, 2001

By SEAN MARCINIAK
The Monitor

McALLEN, TX - A man being interviewed by police 
jumped into a patrol car on Wednesday, tore
down 23rd Street at Speeds of more than 100 mph 
and crashed into a car at Expressway 83, police said.

The man and the driver or the other car were taken to 
the hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.

The chase began about 3 pm. when Officer Edward Willingham 
answered a call in the 1000 block of North 21st Street
and encountered the man, said Mitch Reinitz, a 
spokesman for the police department. A neighbor
had complained of a suspicious person in the area,
and police stopped the man because he matched the
description, he said. 

Willingham thought the man seemed to be under the influence 
while they spoke, another officer found an aerosol can 
of carburetor cleaning fluid nearby. When the patrolman
tried to arrest the man, he fled and the officer gave chase. 

During the pursuit, the suspect doubled back, hopped into
patrol car No. 22 and drove away.

Reinitz said the keys had been left in the car and that it was 
running. "Usually when you stop to check out someone, that's 
normal procedure; it's like a traffic stop," Reinitz said.

Reinitz said Willingham had grabbed the suspect as he jumped 
into the squad car, but as it accelerated, the officer was 
thrown to the ground. Willingham suffered minor scrapes to 
his elbows.

The suspect drove west and turned left on 23rd street Reinitz 
said. While heading south, police who were pursuing him
estimated that the man reached speeds in excess of 100 mph 
before he ran a red light while turning east onto Expressway 83 
and crashed into a car going north. The police car driven by the 
suspect struck the other vehicle and rebounded into a traffic 
light pole.

Witnesses said that as many as 20 police cars were involved in 
the chase. Reinitz could not confirm this number and said standard 
procedure says that two units and a supervisor should respond. 

The suspect, a 23-year-old Laredo resident, was taken to 
McAllen Medical Center in stable condition where he was 
treated under police guard, Reinitz said.

The 54-year-old woman who was driving the other car also 
was taken to McAllen Medical Center and reported to be in 
stable condition. 

Reinitz said the suspect likely would face counts of evading 
arrest, aggravated assault on a peace officer and auto theft. 
Police said he also might face charges of public intoxication.


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