One young man is dead, and another has been arrested following a late-night car chase through Rockwall County on Monday that ended with a crash into a utility pole.
The incident began when a Rockwall County deputy spotted a fake paper tag on a white SUV in Royse City and attempted to pull over the driver.
The driver of the Honda refused to stop and led law enforcement on a nine-minute chase along FM 548. At one point, a passenger in the vehicle allegedly fired multiple shots at the deputy’s vehicle, striking it in the front bumper.
The deputy was not injured and did not return fire, according to the sheriff’s office. The passenger, later identified as 18-year-old Ezekiel Angel Hernandez, eventually jumped out of the moving vehicle near State Highway 276, but the driver continued to flee from the pursuing officers, traveling northward along FM 548 and reaching speeds of up to 90 mph.
The suspect drove about five more miles before crashing his vehicle into several utility poles in front of an Exxon station along FM 548 near Interstate 30. The crash knocked out electricity service for about 4,000 Royse City homes and businesses located north of Interstate 30, as The Dallas Morning News reported.
An eyewitness, Anthony Frodl, told Fox 4 KDFW that he saw two helicopters, three drones, and “at least 50 cops” converge on the scene.
After officers noted the suspect was not moving, they pulled him out of the car and found that he had a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The driver was later identified as 19-year-old Rodrigo Steven Herrera Beitran, according to Rockwall County Chief Deputy Keith McKnight.
Officers reportedly found cash and a gun inside the SUV.
The passenger, Hernandez, was found “bloodied and injured” and was transported to a local hospital for treatment, according to Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jim Barto. Hernandez has been charged with aggravated assault of a public servant.
The Rockwall County Sheriff’s Department was assisted in the chase by Royse City Police, and the Texas Department of Public Safety contributed the use of its helicopter during the pursuit.
Crews were able to restore power to most affected residences and businesses within two hours, but some repairs were not complete until Wednesday morning.