On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 10:00 pm, Crockett Police Officers responded to a hit and run incident reported at a business along the 1200 block of East Loop 304 in Crockett. The caller informed police that a white BMW sedan had collided with their vehicle and fled the scene.
Officers were able to locate the white BMW on SL 304 near SH 19 South and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. However, the driver of the BMW disregarded the signal and led Officers on a high-speed chase, initially on SL 304 before heading south onto US 287 South. The pursuit escalated with speeds exceeding 100 mph as it crossed county lines.
Deputies from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and Trinity County Sheriff's Office joined the pursuit, which eventually entered Trinity County. There, Trinity County deputies deployed Stop Sticks to deflate some of the BMW's tires, yet the driver persisted in evading capture. The chase further extended into Polk County, where additional law enforcement units, including those from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Corrigan Police Department, and Texas DPS troopers, joined in the effort.
Approaching Corrigan, a deputy with the Trinity County Sheriff's Office executed a PIT maneuver, successfully forcing the BMW to a halt. The driver, identified as Crystal Ruther Taber, a 40-year-old from Crockett, was then arrested without resistance.
Upon searching the vehicle, officers discovered a small quantity of suspected methamphetamine. Taber was subsequently transported to the Houston County Jail and charged with evading arrest/detention with a vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, and driving with an invalid license with a previous conviction.
