Four people in stolen car die in fiery crash on I-35 in Dallas as Irving police pursued
Four people inside of a stolen vehicle died early Thursday in a crash and fire in Dallas as the driver was under pursuit by Irving police, according to authorities and partial dashboard-camera video of the chase.
The suspect driver lost control of the vehicle and it went over the side of the Woodall Rodgers Freeway ramp and crashed below, near Interstate 35, Irving police said.
“He just went over, crashed underneath, massive fire,” an officer says in dashcam video that the police department released on Thursday. “I think this is 35 underneath the flyover.”
Everyone who was in the vehicle died. The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office identified them as 22-year-old DeAvion Aubert and three 21-year-olds, Sabria Lacey, Robert Gowans Jr. and Anthony Lisbon.
Officers about 2 a.m. encountered the stolen vehicle in the 3200 block of North Beltline Road and tried to stop it. The vehicle’s driver took off, and officers chased it into Dallas, according to Irving police.
A Dallas County Sheriff’s Office deputy suffered an injury to his arm that is not life-threatening when the suspect’s vehicle crashed into a light pole that fell on the deputy’s vehicle, WFAA-TV reported. The deputy had been trying to get in front of the fleeing vehicle to place spike strips in the road, authorities said.
Police closed the Woodall Rodgers Freeway exit ramp from southbound I-35E, near downtown Dallas, during the investigation. The Continental Avenue exit from northbound I-35E, near where the car landed, was also closed.
Irving police spokesperson Anthony Alexander told WFAA that the department’s pursuit policy allows officers to chase stolen vehicles. The department on Thursday released a copy of the policy to news organizations.
Alexander declined to provide other details on the officers’ pursuit of the vehicle that crashed on Thursday. He described it as “a tragic event.”
“Our officers are required to keep in mind the situation as they are in pursuit of a stolen vehicle.,” Alexander said. “I will say that time goes fast, or it seems like it goes fast in a pursuit, but it’s their job to make sure that they’re being safe at all times.”
Officers from the Irving and Dallas police departments, the sheriff’s office and Dallas Fire-Rescue firefighters responded to try to help the people in the car, but all died at the scene, police said.
This story was originally published February 1, 2024 at 8:14 AM.
