Orange barrels on the highway tell you it's time to slow down. But instead of slowing his speed, Metro Police investigators say an impaired driver actually hit the gas pedal and tried to run down three police officers directing traffic on I-45 near Little York on Sunday afternoon.
"As soon as he looked at us, made eye contact and could see we are police officers, he shoots us the finger, punches it and jerks the wheel directly for us, we jumped out of the way and he hits the female officer and knocks her to the ground", says Captain Wally Wieghat, Precinct 4 deputy constable.
That officer, who is not being identified at this time, was rushed by her husband to a local hospital with injuries to her hips, shoulder and foot.
Investigators say the hit and run driver, Jason Cookie Evans, ran over the officer's foot with his car and the impact slammed her to the ground.
The suspect raced from the scene and led police on a high-speed chase that officers say reached 80 to-90 miles an hour, before Evans finally stopped his car and jumped out with his fists pumped, as he faced down several officers.
"The guy was acting completely crazy, it was obvious he hates the police", Wieghat says.
Now Evans is in the custody of Houston Metro Police and expected to be charged with aggravated assault on a police officer with a motor vehicle.
He has a long, violent, criminal past that includes arrests for aggravated assaults on senior citizens, aggravated assaults on family members and robbery.
Investigators say Sunday he used his car just like a weapon, to try and injure or kill several cops. Fortunately, they say, he failed.