Search fatalities

Hoang Tran

Age : 31

Gender : Male

Race : Asian

Date : 04/15/2022

Location : 15000 block of Hempstead Road near West Little York Road

City : Houston

County : Harris

State : Texas

Agency : Houston Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

REASON FOR CHASE: An HPD traffic-enforcement officer attempted to stop a Dodge Charger after observing it being driven erratically and committing traffic violations in the 2900 block of South Gessner Road.
NARRATIVE:
On 04/15/2022, 31-year-old Hoang Tran was killed when a Dodge Charger being pursued by the Houston Police Department ran a red light and crashed into the white Toyota Camry Tran was driving at Hempstead Road and West Little York Road in northwest Houston. A 31-year-old woman riding with Tran was critically injured.
.
Shortly after 6 p.m., an HPD traffic-enforcement officer observed the Charger being driven erratically and committing traffic violations in the 2900 block of South Gessner Road. The officer attempted a traffic stop, and the driver continued away. Police initiated a pursuit.
.
The pursuit continued for approximately 10 minutes through Houston. Police said the Charger was traveling at such a high rate of speed that pursuing officers had fallen some distance behind it. Subsequent reporting documented speeds reaching approximately 100 mph
.
The Charger continued north on Hempstead Road toward West Little York Road. At the intersection, the driver entered against a red traffic signal and struck Tran’s Camry. The impact caused a chain-reaction collision involving a Toyota RAV4, GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado.
.
Tran died at the crash scene. His 31-year-old female passenger suffered critical injuries and was transported to a hospital. The occupants of the other vehicles survived.
.
The driver of the pursued vehicle survived. Houston police subsequently announced murder and aggravated-assault charges in connection with Tran’s death and his passenger’s injuries.
.
Tran was not involved in the police encounter that initiated the pursuit. He was driving through the intersection with a passenger when the pursued vehicle struck his car.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Houston Police Department did not publicly identify the traffic-enforcement officer who initiated the attempted stop and pursuit or the other officers who participated in the verified sources located. The officers were not criminally charged for their role in initiating or continuing the pursuit.
.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.houstontx.gov/police/nr/2022/apr/nr220418-2.htm
https://abc13.com/police-chase-hempstead-highway-crash-west-little-york-murder-charge/11755349/
https://abc13.com/deadly-street-takeover-houston-police-chase-hoang-tran-killed-damian-west-charged/11763613/