Motorcyclist dies after high-speed police chase

Police: Rider lost police during chase

HOUSTON – A motorcyclist is dead after a high-speed police chase in west Houston.

Around 1 a.m. Saturday, police say they spotted the motorcyclist riding with no headlight on along Shepherd near West 43rd. When police tried to pull the rider over, officials say he took off.

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According to police, the rider led police on a chase through a neighborhood, then back onto Shepherd where he took off so fast, police simply couldn't keep up.

"The officer radioed ahead to other units," said Kese Smith with the Houston Police Department.

Smith says another officer was soon on his tail, but the rider was able to shake him as well.

A short time later, police say an officer responded to a scene at Shepherd near West 30th. Street.

"They found the body of a motorcyclist in a parking lot," said Smith. "We realized it was probably the pursuit suspect."

He says police think the motorcyclist was riding so fast that he lost control of his bike, hit a curb, went airborne and slammed into a tree and a parked car before crashing to the ground.

Houston police say they later realized the headlight on the motorcycle had been painted over, and the motorcyclist's license plate was bent upwards so it couldn't be read.