A domestic violence suspect led Garland police on a high-speed chase Saturday morning, striking a cyclist and multiple vehicles before being arrested.
The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Justin Johnson of Mesquite, faces charges of evading arrest, causing serious bodily injury, assault involving continuous violence against the family, and tampering with evidence. Police also noted Johnson had an active parole violation warrant issued by the Austin Parole Board.
The incident began when Garland police responded to a call from a woman reporting a physical assault at an apartment complex on Bay Island Drive. Officers located Johnson’s vehicle on Interstate 30 and attempted to stop him. Police said Johnson threw an item, later identified as drugs, out of his car and sped away, initiating a chase.
Johnson exited the highway and continued along the I-30 frontage road into Mesquite, where he struck cyclist Jim Martin, who was riding with a group. Martin was thrown onto the hood of Johnson’s Dodge Charger and carried for over a mile.
“In a fraction of a second, it went from normal to just insane,” Greg Murff, a fellow cyclist riding alongside Martin, told NBC 5 DFW. “You heard a noise, you heard a car horn honk, and then Jim was just gone.”
Murff described the moment Johnson’s vehicle collided with two cars stopped at the intersection of Gus Thomasson Road and the I-30 frontage road, causing Martin to be thrown from the hood.
“Dodge Charger wound up hitting a red car and a black car that were at the Gus Thomasson intersection,” Murff said. “And Jim flew off the front of it apparently.”
Martin sustained a broken arm but is expected to recover.
“He’s going to be OK, which is the great news, and we’re all grateful for that,” Murff said.
Friends told NBC 5 that Martin plans to resume cycling as soon as possible, undeterred by the incident, which they said highlighted the dangers cyclists face on Metroplex roads.
“It was so terrifying to see that happen,” Murff added, per NBC 5. “And the car, we know, was just flying. It had to be, it came up so fast and disappeared so quickly.”
After the collision, Johnson fled on foot but was apprehended by officers shortly afterward. A driver in one of the struck vehicles was also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Johnson is currently held at the Garland Detention Center. It remains unclear whether he has obtained an attorney. The investigation is ongoing, and details regarding Johnson’s parole violation warrant were not immediately available.