HOUSTON – A man is facing charges after a woman was killed and two others were injured when a police chase ended in a crash in west Houston, authorities said.
WATCH: Dashcam video of police chase, fatal crash in west Houston
Juan Jesus Sosa-Montes is charged with murder and aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury.
The crash was reported Sunday just before 10 p.m. near the Katy Freeway and Blalock Road.
Authorities said the chase started when an officer tried to pull over a speeding driver, identified as Sosa-Montes, in a white Cadillac CTS.
Sosa-Montes, 19, pulled the car over to the side of the road on I-10 near the Campbell Road exit.
As the officer walked toward the vehicle, Sosa-Montes sped away, authorities said.
According to authorities, Sosa-Montes exited the Katy Freeway and sped west down the feeder road, where he ran a red light at Blalock Road and hit a blue Nissan Rogue sedan, pushing it into a pole.
The impact of the crash split the Nissan in half and killed a woman inside.
The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that the victim was 57-year-old Leticia Ochoa Ali.
Neighbors told KPRC that Ochoa Ali had a beautiful smile and was welcoming to everyone she met.
“She was always smiling," said Irma Quintanilla.
Quintanilla said she lived next door to Ochoa Ali and the two were close friends. She said that she will remember her friend's warmth and hospitality to others.
“She was very, very friendly with everyone," Quintanilla said.
Sosa-Montes and an 18-year-old female passenger were both taken to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital in serious condition.
It is unknown why Sosa-Montes led police on the chase.
Debris from the crash hit other vehicles, but no other injuries were reported.
Criminal records show that, in December 2017, Sosa-Montes was found guilty of marijuana possession in Montgomery County. He was sentenced to jail time and his driver's license was suspended for one year.
Dashcam video of the incident was released.
In the video, you can see the moment the officer initiated the traffic stop. According to authorities, the car Sosa-Montes was driving passed the patrol vehicle in the left lane. The patrol vehicle got behind the car and the deputy who was driving turned on the vehicle's lights and siren.
The car pulled over at an exit, waited a little while and then sped off. The officer followed in pursuit until the car was involved in the accident, about a minute later, according to the video.
The crash remains under investigation.