Two Young People Die in Crash During Police Pursuit

MOSS HILL, March 12, 2010 - Around 3:12 AM on Friday morning Liberty County Sheriff’s Deputy James Hobson notified dispatchers that he was in pursuit of a vehicle fleeing east on CR 2068 from SH 146 at speeds in excess of 90 MPH.

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Shortly after the fleeing red Chevy SUV crashed and came to rest wrapped around a tree. The vehicle had three occupants, one female and two male, all young people.

According to Hardin Fire Chief, James Redding, when he arrived on the scene there were two occupants entrapped in the vehicle and a third occupant had managed to crawl out.

Redding immediately called for assistance from the Hull Daisetta VFD for additional manpower and additional extraction tools. Cypress Lakes VFD was summoned to set up and man a landing zone at the intersection of SH 105 and SH 146 where Life Flight Landed to transport the accident victims to the hospital.

The extrication of the victims took over an hour to complete requiring two sets of extraction tools and saws. According to Chief Redding this was a difficult extraction for several reasons including the fact that the brake pedal of the vehicle was impaled through the leg of one of the victims and the pedal had to be sawed off before the victim could be removed. The extrication of the accident victims took over one hour.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Chastity Smith age 18 of Hardin. She was transported by Liberty County EMS to the landing zone and transferred to the care of Life Flight who flew her to Houston’s Hermann Hospital in poor condition. According to Trooper Lamb, she died later at the hospital.

One passenger identified as Jerry Carter age 22 of Hardin received a serious knee injury but managed to crawl out of the vehicle. He was transported by ground to a local hospital according to DPS Trooper Lamb. The third passenger in the vehicle was Brandon Wade Dagle age 26 of Batson.

Justice of the Peace Cody Parish conducted an inquest pronouncing Dagle dead at the scene and ordered an autopsy be conducted.

Little is known at press time concerning what motivated the driver of the SUV to flee police.

Any charges in this accident remain part of the continuing investigation by the Department of Public Safety.