Fleeing Vehicle Runs Out of Gas

RAYWOOD, April 15, 2008 - After a vehicle pursuit on Saturday morning through South Liberty County and a police pursuit Tuesday night these things seem to be becoming more frequent.

Tonight, shortly before 10:00 PM, Constable Juan Alfaro observed a Chevy pickup pass another vehicle at a high rate of speed. Alfaro caught up to the vehicle and was going to tell the drive to slow down; when the driver communicated that he was going to ignore Alfaro’s warning utilizing the “F” word and took off. Alfaro then attempted to affect a traffic stop but the driver refused to stop.

This all got started on FM 160 near the Woodson School.

The pursuit continued north on FM 160, then north on FM 770 to FM 834. It continued through Hardin, onto Governor’s Road, then back on FM 834 to Hull. Once in Hull the pursuit turned south on FM 770 and then west of CR 118 off FM 770S.

The pursuit ended when the Chevy Pickup ran out of gas and stalled in the roadway on CR 118 about one mile west of FM 770 South. Constable Alfaro then pursued the driver on foot, across the ditch and into a barbed wire fence.

The driver, identified as David Carey Chandler age 27 of Driscoll, TX, suffered a laceration to the back of the head as he struggled with Constable Alfaro near the fence. Liberty County EMS responded to the scene and bandaged the injury. Deputies transported Chandler to the Liberty Dayton Community Hospital.

Chandler has been handled by the Liberty County Sheriff’s Department on several occasions in the past and is known locally.

The pickup, with paper tags, was purchased only a few days ago and did suffer some front-end damage when the driver ran off the roadway while making a U-turn.

Several law enforcement agencies had positioned units in order to box the fleeing vehicle in including, the Chambers Liberty Counties Drug Task Force, Liberty PD, Liberty County Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Public Safety.

Chandler will be charged with Evading in a Motor Vehicle and Aggregated Assault on a Peace Officer.

Chandler has been charged twice in Liberty County for Buglary of a Habitation and found guilty in the 253rd District Court.

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