Houston police chief chases down street racer while off the clock, officials say

HOUSTON – A police officer's job never ends, and Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo can attest to that fact.

Acevedo was on his way home when he spotted two drivers racing and weaving in and out of traffic, reaching speeds of over 100 mph.

The police chief said he was headed eastbound on I-10 when a green Dodge flew past him. He started following the vehicle without lights on, and that is when someone in a white Mercedes blew past him, Acevedo said.

Acevedo said the cars then took off together and reached speeds of around 110 mph as they wove in and out of traffic and cut people off.

He said he called for backup and a helicopter for eyes in the sky and started following the racers. 

According to Acevedo, the driver of the Mercedes went southbound on I-45 and exited on Dallas Street and ran a red light. 

That is when Acevedo said he turned on his lights and pulled the driver over. 

The driver admitted to the police chief that he saw the other car speeding and decided, "Let's see what my car can do," Acevedo said.

Acevedo said he is fed up with reckless driving.

"People watch 'The Fast and The Furious' and they don't realize that's Hollywood. This is real life," Acevedo said. "We have way too many people dying on our highways. We can't be putting up with this reckless behavior."

According to the police chief, the driver is "going to jail for reckless behavior and his car is going to car jail."


About the Author:

Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli has been a digital news editor at KPRC 2 since 2018. She is a published poet and has background in creative writing and journalism. Daniela has covered events like Hurricane Harvey and the Astros World Series win. In her spare time, Daniela is an avid reader and loves to spend time with her two miniature dachshunds.