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Luis Antonio Ruiz Perez

Age : 25

Gender : Male

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 08/26/2021

Location : U.S. Highway 281 near Miller Road

City : South of San Manuel

County : Hidalgo

State : Texas

Agency : Texas Department of Public Safety

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Medical emergency

Event : Passenger died during police chase; death not attributed to crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

REASON FOR CHASE: DPS attempted a traffic stop for a traffic violation during a suspected human-smuggling incident, leading to a pursuit with Perez as a passenger.
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NARRATIVE:
On 08/26/2021, Texas Department of Public Safety identified 25-year-old Luis Antonio Ruiz Perez, a Mexican national, as the passenger who died during a DPS pursuit that began north of Falfurrias and ended south of San Manuel in Hidalgo County. Contemporary reporting indicates that the actual pursuit and death occurred two days earlier, on 08/24/2021.
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At approximately 2:40 p.m., a DPS trooper attempted to stop a black Chevrolet Silverado driven by 17-year-old Bryan Ramiro Mendoza of McAllen for a traffic violation at FM 2191 and County Road 212 north of Falfurrias. DPS subsequently characterized the incident as suspected human smuggling.
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Mendoza continued south on U.S. Highway 281 while DPS pursued the Silverado. During the pursuit, the truck struck a concrete barrier and lost a tire but continued traveling on the exposed rim. After the vehicle entered Hidalgo County, troopers deployed a tire-deflation device and the Silverado eventually stopped near U.S. 281 and Miller Road south of San Manuel.
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Troopers detained Mendoza and discovered Perez unresponsive inside the Silverado. Emergency medical treatment was unsuccessful and Perez was pronounced dead.
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A subsequent Texas Rangers investigation determined that Perez and his father had spent nearly eight hours hiding in brush before being picked up by Mendoza. According to DPS, Perez became ill while the two men were still in the brush. Investigators determined that his death was not caused by the collision that occurred during the pursuit.
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The circumstances nevertheless place Perez's death directly within the documented police pursuit: he was inside the pursued vehicle when troopers stopped it and discovered him unresponsive.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Texas Department of Public Safety trooper who initiated the traffic stop and pursuit was not publicly identified.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.krgv.com/news/dps-identifies-man-found-dead-after-high-speed-chase
https://www.krgv.com/videos/dps-identifies-man-found-dead-after-high-speed-chase
https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/eb613c7907c0e7385ac02da70fbc4e07/OLS%20Traffic%20Stops%20Title%20VI%20Complaint.pdf
https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars