Police Chase Ends In Family's Front Yard
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - A high-speed chase ended early Wednesday in the front yard of a family's home, located right under the Highway 287 bridge at Wilbarger Street in Fort Worth. The incident began just before 2:30 a.m. when police tried to stop a speeding vehicle.
Officers spotted a 2008 Toyota Camry traveling quickly through the downtown area. They attempted to stop the driver, but she ran through a red light and headed toward eastbound Interstate-30 and then Highway 287. The driver exited at Wilbarger Street, but was unable to negotiate a curve.
According to authorities, the driver slammed into three other cars and ultimately landed on top of a van parked outside of a family's home.
Gerardo Esquivel lives at the home, and heard a loud boom before running outside to see what had happened. Esquivel was not surprised to see a crashed car in the front yard, because something similar had happened before.
Ten years ago, a drunk driver crashed into their home. Nobody was hurt but, the family explained, it was quite scary.
Six people were inside of the house early Wednesday, and they were lucky that the vehicle did not crash into their home this time -- only causing outside damage. Nobody inside was injured. "We were asleep," Esquivel said. "We just heard a big noise."
The family put up an iron fence after that earlier crash, to prevent their home from being damaged again. "We put it up after the first accident happened," Esquivel stated. "We didn't want it to happen again. Second time something like this happened."
The driver was later identified as 43-year-old Nolberta Vargas. She was taken into custody, charged with evading arrest and transported to a nearby hospital in serious condition with severe trauma injuries. She is expected to survive. Police suspect that alcohol or drugs may have been a factor in this incident.
"She was still fighting with the cops when they got here," Esquivel added, "trying to run away or something."