Motorcyclist Takes Quite a Hit After High Speed Chase and Crash in Christoval

A motorcyclist was transported by AirMed1 to Shannon Hospital this afternoon after a high speed chase and crash on US 277 and John Curry Road in Christoval.

Shortly after 2 p.m. today, Sheriff David Jones with the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, said a deputy was attempting to make a routine traffic stop on a motorcyclist driving a Suzuki GSX-R750, but that turned into a chase.

Jones said the deputy clocked the driver at 144 miles per hour. During the chase, the motorcyclist traveled southbound on US 277 and winded past Tres Amigos.

Martin Baise, a witness interviewed at the scene, said the motorcyclist went out of sight for one or two minutes, turned around and made his way back. Baise and the deputies at the scene heard the motorcycle.

“We heard the motorcycle the whole time,” said Baise. “He made a U-turn somewhere in there, and we could hear him coming back.”

Baise added that he and the deputies were “just waiting to see how fast he was going to come by this time.” When he did come back, the motorcyclist tried to slow down to make a left turn, and deputies weren’t sure if he was trying to go into Tres Amigos on US 277 or travel on John Curry Road, but that’s when he crashed.

“He hit that gravel at the entry of Tres Amigos when he went off the roadway,” Baise said. “He lost it, started doing a little fish tail, tried to lay it down, and the bike caught in the grass right here.”

Baise said when it hit, the bike did a 360 somersault. The driver ejected off the bike and landed five to six feet away from it.

“As soon as I got here, he was sitting up,” added Baise. “I was the first one on the scene. I was yelling at him to ‘stay still, stay still!’”

Baise said the suspect attempted to take his helmet off, but Baise said, “No,” and held him down until help arrived.

“He was in pain,” noted Baise.

He said based on the way he was moving, the suspect injured his shoulder, and paramedics believed he may have busted a hip.

“Poor kid. He messed himself up bad,” stated Baise. Also, the motorcycle was “smoking,” so Baise said he went inside Tres Amigos to get a fire extinguisher.

After the crash, Texas DPS took over the investigation at TGCSO’s request. No other details are available at this time.