LUBBOCK, Texas — On Tuesday morning, a law enforcement chase involving the Texas Department of Public Safety ended near Southeast Loop 289 and Slaton Road. The chase started after an attempted traffic stop. It resulted in two arrests and according to DPS, the person in the car was going over 100 miles per hour during the chase.
Johnny Bures, who is a Sergeant with the Texas Department of Public Safety, said car chases like these aren’t too common in Lubbock but they can pose serious danger to anyone in the vicinity of it.
“They may already be speeding or they’re running stop signs or running through intersections. There’s always that potential risk there and that’s always a concern for our troopers or for deputies and officers that are pursuing them. We don’t want to put people at risk,” Bures said.
Bures said if a trooper turns their lights on, it’s best to pull over and be honest with them rather than making a run for it. If so, Bures said problems will stack up. Chases can end up in jail time and thousands of dollars in fines.
Chases escalate quickly and have lots of moving parts. When troopers have to speed to keep up with the runaway car, Bures said it becomes even more dangerous. In that case, they will try to turn to a helicopter or drone, so they won’t have to speed along with the suspect.
“We can get the helicopter to follow them and see where they’re going,” Bures said.
However, troopers may decide they have to continue a chase, despite the high speeds.
Bures said no matter what, if a driver hears sirens, they should pull over to the side of the road to get out of harm’s way.
According to Bures, if a driver gets pulled over, they should pull over to a safe spot, be honest with the trooper about what’s going on and keep hands visible.
“If you need to reach for something, just tell the officer ‘Hey, this is what we have going on. I have my insurance, it’s in the glove box or my insurance is right here in the console,’” Bures said.
Doing these things will help both the trooper and the driver feel more at ease about the situation.
In the case that a chase is happening in a nearby area, Bures recommended drivers avoid turning their heads to look at it or try to follow it in their cars. He said it’s important to stay completely out of harm’s way.
