Fate intervenes in 135 mph car chase on I-10

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Never underestimate the effectiveness of well-orchestrated, diligent police work.

Don’t discount the role luck can play, either.

Ugonna Helen Nwogu, 24, of San Antonio, is in the Guadalupe County Jail facing five charges stemming from a high-speed pursuit Sunday night on I-10 that reached 135 mph.

Law enforcement agencies from at least four counties coordinated their efforts to apprehend Nwogu in a frantic chase that frustrated officers and endangered countless bystanders.

But it was when fate intervened that Texas Department of Public Safety troopers got their break.

It was about 6:30 p.m. Sunday when a Guadalupe County DPS trooper attempted to initiate a traffic stop on an eastbound black Nissan Maxima for traveling 91 mph in a 75 mph zone at the 617 mile marker. But the car sped off.

DPS contacted Gonzales County officials about 6:45 p.m. Sunday, requesting assistance in apprehending the fleeing vehicle that was clocked at speeds up to 135 mph, DPS officials said.

By the time the pursuit reached the 636 mile marker near FM 794 (Harwood Road), the fleeing vehicle had slowed to 120 mph, but showed no signs of stopping.

Monitoring police scanner communications during the pursuit revealed frustration by officials who were unable to get the upper hand in the chase as well as being unable to deploy stop sticks on I-10 due to the volume of traffic.

When the chase reached the 342 mile marker at state Highway 304, the Maxima slowed to 95 mph and exited I-10 on the off ramp, but then blew through the Highway 304 intersection before re-entering I-10 and accelerating.

At that point, DPS troopers began to reconsider their reluctance to use stop sticks, contacting Fayette County officials to ask about deploying such measures.

As the pursuit crossed into Fayette County, the fleeing vehicle was not only weaving in and out of traffic, but was driving on the I-10 shoulder at speeds of 110 mph.

Flatonia police joined the efforts at FM 609 (mile marker 661), deploying stop sticks, but the Maxima was able to avoid them and continue eastbound, DPS said.

By this time, however, the high speeds were taking their toll, as more than one DPS vehicle began running low on gas, forcing them to abort the pursuit.

As the chase neared the Schulenburg city limits, word came that Colorado County authorities were headed westbound on I-10 to intercept the fleeing vehicle.

But as fuel-starved troopers began abandoning the chase and by the time the original Guadalupe County trooper again became the lead pursuit vehicle in Colorado County, the Maxima had disappeared.

That’s when the Guadalupe County trooper, who was also running low on gas, took the exit at state Highway 71 (696 mile marker) in Columbus to refuel so he could continue what was quickly becoming a futile search for the fleeing Maxima.

But as the trooper pulled to a gas pump to fill up, so did the elusive Maxima.

The lucky trooper flipped on his emergency lights, the Maxima rammed a car parked at the gas station, sped out of parking lot and both vehicles raced onto I-10 continuing the eastbound pursuit. But the chase lasted only another mile before Nwogu admitted defeat and pulled over at the 697 mile marker, 80 miles from where the chase started.

DPS officials said the Maxima was reported stolen in San Antonio, and that the front and rear license plates were different. Nwogu is being held in Seguin on $78,500 in bond facing charges for evading arrest, unauthorized use of a vehicle, an accident involving damage to another vehicle, possession of marijuana (less than 2 oz.) and driving while intoxicated.

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