HOUSTON — A man driving a green Mercedes-Benz is dead after a brief high-speed chase, according to Houston police.
The man was spotted driving recklessly just after 1 a.m. near Bellfort Avenue and South Wayside Drive in southeast Houston.
According to police, the driver was seen zooming through stop lights at high speeds when police tried to pull him over. That's when the man led them on a chase for about a minute.
Police said the 34-year-old man eventually lost control, hit the center ditch, then hit a manhole in the ditch. He was ejected when his car rolled over and crashed. Officers tried to save the man's life, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
"As always, any death is always a tragedy," HPD Assistant Chief Ban Tien said. "I can only imagine what the family's going through."
Tien said police are investigating the crash and that the department is also conducting an internal investigation since the man's death is classified as an "in-custody death." The officers will be placed on administrative leave as police complete their investigation.
Houston police have been involved in at least two other deadly crashes within the past year. We're working to get additional details on who the driver was.