Lubbock Teen Dies in Police Chase

      A police chase in North Lubbock overnight turns deadly when the suspect veers off the roadway, the SUV flips and lands on top of him.

        Police say the chase started around 1:30 Tuesday morning, when an officer stopped a Jeep Grand Cherokee for failing to stop when coming out of a private driveway.  They say the driver, 19-year-old Leondrick Akeen Hastings, took off heading eastbound in the 2400 Block of Erskine.  The officer chased him, but was several hundred feet behind.  Police say the officer saw Hastings turn southbound on North Avenue P, but when she made the turn, she lost sight of the vehicle.  The officer continued canvassing the area and it appears she had no idea that when Hastings turned on Avenue P, he lost control and the Jeep flipped.  They say Hastings was ejected and the SUV landed on top of him.  Lt. Jon Caspell with the LPD says "She [the officer] was several hundred feet behind the vehicle as it was already in the pursuit so we don't believe she saw the wreck. Other officers helped her flood the area canvas the area and that's when they found the vehicle."  He goes on to say, "An initial review, in the short amount of time, shows that so far it looks like the officer followed policy but that could change. We're gonna follow through and do a thorough investigation on both ends to make sure."

      Police say there was a passenger in the SUV when the officer first pulled them over, but they did not find him at the crash scene and have still not located him.  They're still investigating if drugs or alcohol were involved and say it is not clear why Hastings chose to run from police.