Multi-County Chase Ends in Crash
By: Nick Ochsner
Updated: December 16, 2012
A mulit-county police car chase ended in a crash and the suspect car up in smoke Saturday night at 82nd and Upland.
DPS Troopers say the chase started around 9:00 p.m. in Hockley County when a trooper attempted to stop 26-year-old Thomas Mendez of Levelland for speeding.
Troopers say Mendez took off and led troopers on a high-speed chase that went down FM 1585 into Lubbock County and ziggaged through other rural roads before Mendez crashed at the intersection of 82nd and Upland.
Speeds in the chase topped 100 miles per hour.
We're told Mendez was able to avoid several sets of spike strips that were deployed in an attempted to stop him. Since the spike strips did not work, a trooper shot out the tires on Mendez's 1999 UMC Yukon.
Troopers believe Mendez may have been intoxicated at the time of the chase.
He was taken to UMC by ambulance to be treated for injuries sustained in the crash.
Mendez has been charged with evading arrested with a motor vehicle and may face other alcohol-related charges at a later time.
