JONES COUNTY, Texas — A Garland man is dead after the vehicle he was a passenger in crashed when its driver led Texas Department of Public Safety troopers on a chase.
DPS said at approximately 6:56 a.m. Wednesday, troopers were involved in a pursuit of a fleeing driver that ended in a multiple-vehicle crash in Jones County on US Hwy 277.
A DPS trooper tried to conduct a traffic stop on a car speeding on Interstate 20 at milepost 273. The driver refused to stop and sped away from the trooper. The pursuit continued on multiple roadways and directions in the northwest Taylor County area and continued north on US 277 into Jones County for several miles.
The suspect, later identified as Jacobe Jabar Johnson, 22, of Arlington, reversed directions, fleeing back toward Abilene on US 277. Troopers deployed spike systems to stop Johnson's vehicle. He tried to avoid the spikes traveling into and across the northbound lanes of US 277, crashing into two vehicle that were traveling north.
Both drivers were injured and taken to a local hospital with various injuries.
Johnson had a passenger, identified as Aaron Earl Rattler, 27, of Garland, who was also injured in the crash and was taken to Hendrick Medical Center South for treatment. Rattler died from his injuries.
Johnson will be charged with evading arrest or detention in a vehicle, a felony, and booked into the Jones County Jail. He will be charged with additional crimes as they are revealed in the investigation, which DPS said is ongoing.
