After a brief pursuit by Harris County police over a suspected stolen vehicle, three teenagers were killed and three more were taken to the hospital.
The collision happened on Rolling Terrace Drive, north of Houston, at approximately 12:16 a.m. on Thursday. A officer tried to halt a suspected stolen car, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). According to officers, the car failed to stop and started to accelerate quickly before colliding with a tree.
During a news briefing, John Nanny, HCSO Major of the East Region Patrol, stated that the pursuit lasted less than a minute and reached speeds of more than 90 miles per hour.
“The pursuit lasted for approximately 40 to 45 seconds,” he stated. “The driver of the evading car hit a tree in this neighborhood after failing to make the turn. The youngsters in the car seem to have been between the ages of 14 and 15. On the spot, three of them were declared dead. Three of them were taken to nearby medical facilities.
The driver was one among the people murdered, according to the officers, who also identified all of the passengers as male. Two of the inmates were not able to be revived despite the efforts of the deputies on the site to administer first aid.
When Nanny said, “No seat belts were on,” “There was no activity on the third row. Despite the fact that it had been set down, it seems that a few of the people were still sitting there, albeit not in the seats.
Nanny stated that the killings would be considered in-custody deaths because they happened during a police pursuit.
“We have a pursuit review board and they will be reviewing all the videos to make sure all the policies were followed during the pursuit,” he stated. “Our internal affairs division, they are on scene as well and they will be doing an investigation for any police violations if any are found.”
Nanny stated that although tools and masks were discovered within the car, it is unknown what the young people were up to prior to the pursuit.
“They did have some screwdrivers and hammers in their possession,” he stated. “We do have investigators that are at the hospital that will be interviewing the survivors and they will follow up in that capacity.”
The sheriff’s office reports that the three kids who are still alive are in stable condition and that the identity of the occupants have not yet been made public.
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