Big Rig Driver Charged After Leading Police On High Speed Chase

HARRIS COUNTY, TX — The driver of a big rig who led Harris County Sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase with his family in the truck was arrested and faces several felony charges.

The chase began just before 11 p.m. on Monday near U.S. 290 in Cypress, when an off duty sheriff’s deputy spotted the semi-truck, driven by 37-year old Juan Manuel Rodriguez-Jimenez, that was driving erratically.

The off-duty deputy, who was following the semi, called the dispatcher and said the semi-truck was drifting over the lanes of the road and was failing to stay in a single lane of traffic.

Officials said other deputies spotted the Jimenez and tried to pull him over, but kept on going. According to a sheriff's office press release,

Jimenez drove through residential neighborhoods in and around the State Highway 6 and Little York area, in order to evade the deputies pursuing him.

He then drove north on State Highway 6 towards U.S. 290, entering the freeway and exiting Barker Cypress Road.

Deputies followed Jimenez into the Coles Crossing subdivision. Deputies said Jimenez drove over curbs and yards, all while trying to escape deputies.

He circled back onto Barker Cypress Road, and a sheriff's deputy was able to successfully deploy Stop Sticks at the intersection of West road and Barker Cypress, puncturing the trucks front tires.

Several marked police units tried to slow and stop Jimenez, but he swerved towards deputies and tried to hit their patrol cars, according to police.

The truck came to a stop in the 30600 block of Interstate 10 west and Igloo road in Waller County after nearly an hour of pursuing Jimenez.

A 32-year old woman and two children, ages 1- and 8-years-old, were detained and later released, police said.

Jimenez is now facing felony evading in a motor vehicle and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, for using the truck to strike a deputies vehicle during the pursuit.

He is being held in the Harris County Jail without bond.

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Image: HCSO

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