Driver dead after shooting in Rockwall County, pursuit ends in utility pole accident

A chase by Rockwall County officers ended Monday evening in Royse City after the driver crashed into a utility pole, cutting off power to a “large portion” of city residents north of Interstate 30, authorities said.

The driver, who authorities have not identified, was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead from a self-inflicted gunshot, Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jim Barto said in a statement Tuesday.

The pursuit began after a Rockwall County deputy attempted to stop a vehicle with an obscured temporary tag. The driver drove off and a passenger, who was not identified, shot the deputy multiple times, Barto said.

The deputy, who was not struck by the gunfire, began pursuing the vehicle as the driver headed north on FM 548. The passenger jumped from the moving vehicle near State Highway 276, Barto said.

The driver continued driving, reaching speeds of more than 90 miles per hour before crashing near the intersection of FM 548 and I-30. The Texas Department of Public Safety dispatched a helicopter to assist in the pursuit, which lasted about nine minutes, Barto said.

“Officers approached after determining the driver had stopped moving and he was removed from the vehicle,” Barto said.

Rescue workers found the passenger “bloody and injured.” The passenger was transported to a hospital, Barto said.

No other injuries were reported. The officers did not fire their weapons during the incident, Barto said.

Royse City police assisted toward the end of the pursuit, Chief Kirk Aldridge said in a statement Tuesday. He deferred further questions to the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office.

More than 4,000 homes and businesses lost power because the driver crashed into the utility pole and brought down power lines, said Andy Morgan, a spokesman for Oncor.

A responding line crew rerouted power and restored power to most affected Oncor customers in less than two hours. Power was restored to remaining homes and businesses by Tuesday morning, Morgan said.

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