DALLAS – Four people traveling in a stolen car being chased by police in Texas are dead following a horrific crash early Thursday morning, authorities said.
The Irving Police Department said its officers located a stolen vehicle about 2 a.m. and tried to detain the occupants along the 3200 block of North Belt Line Road. However, the driver refused to yield and led officers on a chase into the Dallas city limits, eventually crashing and killing all four individuals in the automobile, NBC 5 DFW reported.
The deceased people were all in their early 20s, and identified as Sabria Lacey, DeAvion Aubert, Robert Gowans Jr., and Anthony Lisbon.
Irving officers pursued the vehicle toward downtown Dallas. While on the overpass from southbound Interstate 35E to eastbound Woodall Rodgers Freeway, the driver of the stolen car apparently lost control, creating a horrific, single-vehicle collision.
The Irving Police Department released a portion of dashcam video later on Thursday showing the end to the dramatic chase. In the edited video, the agency highlighted the stolen vehicle’s location on the Woodall Rodgers overpass.
Moments later, sparks can be seen prior to the car hopping the overpass wall and crashing to the ground below, bursting into flames near the Continental Avenue exit.
Irving officers as well as additional personnel from allied police and fire agencies tried to provide first aid to the occupants of the stolen vehicle without success.
The Continental Avenue exit and the ramp connecting I-35E to Woodall Rodgers Freeway remained closed for several hours while the crash was investigated.
Irving Police Spokesman Anthony Alexander confirmed that officers are authorized to pursue stolen vehicles, per department policy, while also being mindful of other relevant factors.
“The Irving Police Department is allowed to pursue stolen vehicles. Our officers are required to keep in mind the situation as they are in pursuit of a stolen vehicle. I will say that time goes fast. It seems like it goes fast in a pursuit. It’s their job to make sure they’re being safe at all times,” Alexander noted.
“Police pursuits are highly intense,” said retired police officer Mark Herrera. “Overall, the police pursuits are inherently risky situations, as we all know and have recently experienced.”
Herrera explained the thought process of an officer who is engaged in a chase, NBC 5 DFW reported.
“Officers, they have to evaluate the seriousness of the offense,” Herrera said. “That’s the most important thing. You have to consider the reason for the pursuit and assess the severity of that crime that led to the pursuit.”
Irving Police said the release of information will be limited moving forward due to the ongoing investigation.
