HUNTSVILLE, Texas – A 19-year-old suspect who authorities say severely injured a Huntsville police officer after crashing into his patrol car while driving a stolen vehicle has been booked into jail.
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Deon Blanks had been in the hospital since the crash on December 16. Upon his release, he was arrested and booked into the Walker County Jail where he is charged with aggravated assault on a public servant, evading arrest, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. His bond has not been set.
The crash happened just before 2 a.m. on December 16.
According to the Huntsville Police Department, they responded to a report of a vehicle that had been stolen from the area of South Sam Houston and Angier at 1:38 a.m. At 1:44 a.m., an officer located a vehicle matching the description near 8th Street and University Avenue. When the officer attempted to confirm the vehicle, Blanks failed to stop at Avenue M and fled at a high rate of speed.
Huntsville Police Officer Sean Brinson was responding to assist other officers in the pursuit when he was struck head-on by Blanks in the stolen vehicle, authorities say. Only 14 seconds elapsed from the time Blanks fled until the crash occurred.
Due to his injuries, Blanks was transported to a Houston-area hospital and was not arrested at the time. The vehicle he was driving was confirmed to have been stolen and items inside were linked to burglaries reported earlier that night.