High speed pursuit ends in crash
A Terrell Police Department officer surveys the aftermath of a single-vehicle accident involving the suspect of an armed robbery attempt at a Terrell convenience store Aug. 18.
Law enforcement officials from both Kaufman and Van Zandt counties had their hands full on Tuesday afternoon after an attempted armed robbery of a convenience store in Terrell led to a high speed chase.
The chase ended when the suspect lost control of his vehicle just west of Wills Point.
According to reports, 22-year-old Matthew Colby Johnson, of Mineola, entered the GAS convenience and gas station on South Virginia Street in Terrell attempting to commit an armed robbery.
Store owner Fahed Fatayri then pulled out his own weapon, a .38 pistol, and fired a single shot that struck Johnson in the buttocks.
Johnson fled the scene, disposed of the weapon and set off on a high-speed chase that began with officers from the Terrell Police Department attempting to apprehend the suspect.
Johnson led authorities down Highway 80 going east at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour.
Johnson passed through Elmo and Wills Point while other law enforcement officials from the Wills Point Police Department, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety joined in the chase.
Johnson eventually lost control of the red sedan he was driving while weaving in and out of traffic to avoid other vehicles just east of the Big Tex Trailers facility.
He then crossed into a grassy area that divides the east and westbound lanes of traffic.
A collision with oncoming traffic was narrowly avoided with Johnson’s vehicle eventually crashing into the westbound ditch and beyond. The red sedan crashed through several fences, before coming to a stop on its roof against the fence of SRH Trees, Inc.
During the incident, Johnson was thrown clear of the vehicle. Authorities circled the area quickly, controlling the scene and put Johnson into custody until ambulance services arrived.
Johnson was taken to Baylor Hospital in Dallas and at presstime Aug. 19, his condition was still described as “serious.”
Terrell Police Department spent several hours at the scene documenting and reviewing evidence.
