It’s Friday night in the Hub City, and while most of us were busy avoiding the construction on Loop 289 or questioning our life choices at a Broadway bar, one Texas DPS trooper decided to turn the intersection of 19th and University into a live-action remake of Speed. Because nothing screams “protect and serve” quite like initiating a high-speed pursuit through the literal heart of town right before midnight.
Our hero in tan was reportedly chasing a speeding vehicle southbound on University Avenue. Naturally, when you’re “pursuing” someone at 11:17 PM, the best place to do it is the one intersection where people actually stop. As the trooper barreled into the 19th Street crossing, they were met not by the suspect, but by a GMC Acadia heading east. The resulting T-bone sent the trooper and the driver of the SUV to UMC, while a two-year-old in the backseat got a terrifying, unrequested lesson in Lubbock physics.
Thankfully, everyone was released from the hospital with minor injuries, which is a miracle considering we usually can’t go a week without someone taking out a power pole or a localized landmark. Meanwhile, the actual “speeding suspect”—the entire catalyst for this expensive game of tag—successfully vanished into the dusty horizon, presumably laughing all the way to a 2:00 AM plate of biscuits and gravy.
So, to recap: we have one wrecked patrol unit, one smashed family SUV, a traumatized toddler, and a suspect who is currently anywhere but in handcuffs. But hey, at least the DPS says the crash “remains under investigation,” which is government-speak for “we’ll get back to you once everyone forgets this happened.”
If the goal was to make the streets safer by removing a speeder, does it still count as a win if you’re the one who ended up occupying the hospital bed instead of the perp?
https://www.kcbd.com/2026/03/28/dps-trooper-driver-injured-crash-during-pursuit/
