Driver dies in crash after brief police chase

A man eluding Houston police in a car that was reported stolen died Friday after crashing into a tree in the Pecan Park neighborhood, authorities said.

The man crashed about 10:35 a.m. in the 1900 block of Evergreen Drive near Kernel Street, after about a 10-minute police chase, said Assistant Chief Daryn Edwards.

Police pulled the man out of the car, which was smoldering, and gave him CPR in an attempt to save his life, Edwards said.

The owner of the car, a late model Chevrolet Malibu with gold colored rims, reported it missing on Jan. 10, the assistant chief said. The owner had arranged to meet with the person who took it and was speaking with police when they saw a car matching its description at Howard and Galveston. Police tried to stop the car, and a pursuit began, Edwards said.

The driver approached the intersection in Pecan Park at a high speed, hit a dip in the road and lost control of the car. He then went off into the median, Edwards said.