[kellyhound]

GARLAND A pursuit that lasted 90 minutes and stretched through at least three cities ended with a violent collision at a Garland intersection Monday afternoon June 29 2009.

The chase began in Mesquite following a traffic stop by Dallas County Constables.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the decision to pursue the driver, but there were indications that the man was wanted on felony warrants.

The Nissan's sedan eluded a phalanx of squad cars at speeds up to 100 mph on a back-and-forth route that included Interstate 30, LBJ Freeway and local streets.

The suspect has been named as Shane Michel.


At one point, the he skidded out
of control on a highway exit ramp and struck a highway sign head-on.

The sign flipped over the car and shattered the car's rear window, but the driver kept going across a grassy median and resumed his flight.

Later, the car crashed through lowered gates at a DART light rail crossing in Garland.

A Dallas police helicopter and at least eight squad cars from several agencies were involved in the pursuit, which ended abruptly at the corner of Plano Road and Buckingham Road in Garland when Michel pulled in front of a pickup truck.

His sedan was struck on the driver's side door and skidded to a stop about half a block away.

Paramedics used equipment to extricate him from the wreckage.

He survived, but was injured.
His condition at present is critical.

The driver of the pickup truck did not appear to be seriously hurt.

[Olero]

I love it when police chases end with a crash.