Man Rolls Down Houston Harte Embankment, Attempts to Flee

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS -- Shortly before 8 p.m. this evening, a two-vehicle major motor vehicle accident occurred near the access ramp of Freeland Avenue. The accident involved a black Chevy truck and a white Lexus four-door sedan. 

San Angelo Police Department Officer Nguyen said, Unit 2, the Lexus, was making a right turn from Lincoln onto Freeland Avenue, when the driver of Unit 1, the Truck, who was speeding at the time of the accident, attempted to cut the Lexus traveling in front of him. Subsequently, the driver of the Chevy hit the traveling Lexus on its front right side as it began to swerve and rolled down the embankment. The truck came to a stop in the middle of Houston Harte. 

After coming to a stop, a good Samaritan who witnessed the crash, JR Lopez, said he ran down to see if everyone was alright in the truck, but by the time he had ran down the embankment another witness said the driver had run back up the ramp. Lopez then recounted that he ran back up the embankment to Freeland Avenue to see if the driver had gone back to check on the driver of the Lexus. However, when Lopez got to the top, he found that the driver had instead, ran off "behind the houses." "That's when I went to chase him, [tackled him], and I brought him back to the front," Lopez added.

Thereafter, Officer Nguyen said, an off-duty constable aided Lopez after Lopez had tackled the fleeing driver. The off-duty constable then detain the fleeing driver until an on-duty police officer took custody of the driver and transported him to a local hospital. 

Lopez said the driver attempted to flee the scene even after the off-duty constable attempted to detain him. 

During the preliminary investigation officers located some "un-opened bud light" in the Chevy. At this time, it is unclear whether the driver of the Chevy truck might have been under the influence. A "motor detective [will] come down and investigate the accident scene and I will work the [possible] DWI," added Officer Nguyen. 

As for citations, the driver of the Chevy will be issued a citation for Failure to Control Speed and Failure to Stop at an Accident Scene. Other charges are possible pending investigation. The Chevy's registration was up-to-date and the car was insured.  The driver of the Lexus, however,  was driving with out a driver's license and her vehicle was uninsured, her citations will reflect accordingly. 

No other injuries were recorded during the preliminary crash investigation. 

Traffic on the eastbound side of Houston Harte was stopped for a while, and traffic was diverted, as SAPD officers worked the scene. Please take extra caution when traveling near the location of the accident scene, as police officers work to clear the scene. 

UPDATE: May 23, 2017 at 9:00 a.m.
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WARNING: Images of blood.

Video footage of yesterday's accident. Video credit to: Alvin Gaither