A police chase involving a stolen vehicle ended with a car going airborne and crashing into a vacant building in southeast Houston Sunday night, leaving two people injured and the driver facing multiple charges.
The crash happened around 10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, in the 9700 block of Scott Street.
Surveillance video obtained by KPRC 2 shows the moments leading up to the crash, including a man in a white shirt appearing to be knocked backward as the vehicle goes flying toward the building.
The video offers a closer look at how quickly the crash happened.
In the upper-left corner of the footage, a vehicle enters the frame and appears to strike a curb before going airborne.
The car then flies over the front of a blue vehicle parked nearby before crashing into the building.
But there’s something else visible in the footage.
A man wearing a white shirt is seen near the blue vehicle as the approaching car goes airborne. Moments later, he appears to be knocked backward and falls to the ground.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the man seen falling in the surveillance video is one of the two people transported to the hospital.
The stolen vehicle caught fire after the crash, prompting a response from the Houston Fire Department.
According to a Houston Police Department sergeant who spoke with KPRC 2 at the location, the incident began when an officer spotted a vehicle and checked its license plate.
The officer learned the vehicle had been reported stolen earlier Sunday.
Police say the officer activated the patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and siren in an attempt to pull the driver over.
Instead of stopping, the driver took off.
The pursuit continued near the 9700 block of Scott Street, where police say the driver turned onto a side street, lost control and crashed into the building.
Another vehicle parked outside was also struck during the crash.
Houston police initially reported two customers were struck by the fleeing vehicle.
Both were transported to an area hospital in stable condition.
But questions remain about exactly where those two people were when the crash happened.
A worker at a nearby gas station provided KPRC 2 with a different account of their location. KPRC 2 has not independently confirmed whether the injured people were inside a vehicle, outside the building or elsewhere when they were struck.
The surveillance footage shows a man in a white shirt falling backward during the crash, but his identity and condition have not been independently verified.
Police say the driver was the only occupant of the stolen vehicle and was still inside when officers arrived following the crash.
The driver suffered superficial cuts and was transported to a hospital for treatment.
According to HPD, the driver faces charges of felony evading, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and reckless driving.
Police have not released the driver’s identity in the information provided to KPRC 2.
Although police initially described the location as a neighborhood hangout spot, a worker at a nearby gas station told KPRC 2 the building is empty.
Police have not confirmed what type of business previously operated at the location.
The crash caused damage to the building, but the full extent has not been established.
Investigators have not provided additional details about the two injured people or confirmed whether the man seen in the surveillance video was among those hospitalized.
KPRC 2 is working to learn more about the people involved, the driver’s identity and the circumstances surrounding the pursuit.
The surveillance video raises another question: How did the driver lose control so dramatically before crashing into the building?
