Driver dies after striking a tree following pursuit

A driver died early Saturday in a police chase that started after they ran a red light, authorities said.

Officers were en route to a call when they saw a vehicle run a red light, so they turned their sirens on and tried to stop the vehicle, according to Houston Police Assistant Chief Patricia Cantu. The vehicle kept speeding and ran more lights, Cantu said.

Authorities were losing sight of the vehicle and slowing down, and the vehicle “maintained a lot of momentum and went straight ahead,” Cantu said.

By the time police caught up, officers saw the vehicle had crashed into a tree, Cantu said.

The vehicle crashed in the 3400 block of South Dairy Ashford Road, and Houston Fire Department pronounced a person inside of it dead. There weren’t other occupants in the vehicle of which they knew, Cantu said.