Texas Deputy Fired After Inmate Escaped, Rode On Top Of Patrol Car

ABILENE (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — A Texas sheriff's deputy has been fired after video showed him driving down a Texas highway with an inmate sitting on the roof.

The deputy had been transporting 31-year-old Martin Gregory Estrada when the man broke a patrol car window and climbed onto the vehicle's roof. The deputy summoned help and didn't stop until backup arrived.

A spokesperson with the Taylor County Sheriff's Office says the deputy was terminated for violating office policies on inmate safety and security.

Officials say Estrada was being transported from a hospital facility in Wichita Falls to Abilene -- a distance of about 150 miles. Investigators say Estrada slipped out of his handcuffs at one point, shattered a back window in the patrol car and climbed on the roof.

Video of the July 18 incident was recorded by a motorist following the patrol car.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)