Breckenridge Texan

By Tony Pilkington and Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

Four people were hospitalized, including a Breckenridge Police Department sergeant, following a high-speed chase that started Wednesday night in west Shackelford County and ended with a crash in the midst of the construction zone on Breckenridge’s Walker Street.

Sgt. Noah Gray is in Stephens Memorial Hospital in stable condition, according to Breckenridge Police Chief Blake Johnson, who said he was notified of the incident at about 10:44 p.m. Wednesday, May 15. Additionally, a construction worker was injured and is going to be transported by air ambulance to another hospital, the chief said.

The two occupants of the vehicle involved in the chase were also injured; the driver is in SMH, and the passenger was flown to another trauma unit with critical injuries, Johnson said.

A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper and Breckenridge Police Officer Drew Boggs (leaning into the backseat of the vehicle) look at the wrecked car that was involved in a high-speed chase from Shackelford County. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

According to Shackelford County Sheriff Edward Miller, the suspects were originally clocked at 92 miles per hour at the intersection of U.S. Highway 180 and State Highway 351, west of Albany.

“The guy refused to stop, (came) in to Albany, zigzagged around through town trying to lose the officer in Albany,” Miller said. “They called me at home. I got out and got involved in the chase, also. They left out, coming to Breckenridge. We came across the county line. The sheriff here in Stephens County tried to spike him at the bridge, (but) he was up on him way too soon for  that to be successful. And then (they) ended up around the neighborhood here in town, and then the crash occurred in the construction site.”

During most of the pursuit, which reached speeds of up to 100 mph, the suspects were driving without their lights on, he said.

“The driver is a confirmed gang member, looks like originally out of Harlingen, Texas, but currently staying in Abilene, Texas,” Miller said. “We’re working with Abilene PD — their detective unit over there — trying to get identification and information on these guys.”

Once the chase entered Stephens County, the local Sheriff’s Office and police department joined the chase, which went through the Walmart parking lot and through the neighborhood near Breckenridge High School. The suspects went south on Smith Street and crashed into Gray, who was driving on Walker Street, Johnson said, confirming that Gray’s car was “t-boned” and rolled.

That area of West Walker Street is currently under construction, and the Texas Department of Transportation has the east-bound lanes closed. The outside lane has been milled as part of the repair work. The construction worker who was injured in the wreck was a flagman who was directing traffic.

“The passenger … was deemed critical, and he just flew out (by air ambulance),” Johnson said just after midnight Thursday at Stephens Memorial Hospital. “There was also a flagman or a traffic guy with the work unit. He was also hit, and he sustained serious injuries, but he’s also being flown out as a precaution. At this point, we’d still consider him critical. But he was more stable, too. The driver of the vehicle is still here. We haven’t identified him yet, but he’s here and he’s being treated for injuries consistent with the crash. Our officer, Noah … he’s cognitive, he’s talking … (but) he was transported here with with serious injuries. Right now it looks like he’s being checked out … (and) getting treated for those injuries. But it looks like he’s stable and he’ll be staying here right now.”

Also responding to the scene were the Breckenridge Fire Department, Sacred Cross EMS and the Department of Public Safety. Johnson said DPS will be handling the crash report and the Shackelford County Sheriff’s Office will be handling the criminal cases.

Construction workers clean up the scene of a wreck on West Walker Street late Wednesday night, following a high-speed chase involving the car on the right. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Breckenridge Police Officer Bryce Bufkin looks over the wrecked vehicle that crashed into a Breckenridge police vehicle, following a high-speed chase that started in Shackelford County. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Construction workers who have been doing road work on West Walker Street are updated about the incident that happened late Wednesday night when a high-speed chase from Shackelford County ended in a wreck in Breckenridge. One of the workers who was directing traffic was injured when the suspects crashed into a Breckenridge police vehicle in the construction zone. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Cutline, top photo: Emergency personnel work the scene of a wreck on West Walker Street late Wednesday night after a Breckenridge police vehicle driven by Sgt. Noah Gray was “t-boned” and rolled by a car that was involved in a high-speed chase originating in Shackelford County. Gray was transported to Stephens Memorial Hospital, where he was in stable condition early Thursday morning, according to Breckenridge Police Chief Blake Johnson. (Photo by Rob Durham)