Magnolia Police stopped a vehicle matching the description of a vehicle involved in a robbery in Harris County. They got the driver out of the vehicle and as they attempted to get the passenger out he locked the doors and sped off. An attempt to locate was issued and moments later the vehicle was spotted eastbound on FM1488. DPS Troopers who were in the area were able to get behind it.
At that point the vehicle sped up to speeds of almost 100 mph on the wrong side of the road. DPS initiated an attempted traffic stop but the vehicle continued at a high rate of speed on the wrong side of the road. . Another DPS Trooper was able to spike the vehicle.
It appeared the vehicle swerved to miss the spokes and left the roadway flipping. It continued through a fence and into the woods.
DPS Troopers approached the vehicle and found the driver Chad Derek McMichael, age 33, of Conroe, dead in the drivers seat. An approximately three month old child was found in the backseat, in a child safety seat hanging upside down. Troopers were able to get the child out and turned him over to MCHD when they arrived on the scene with Magnolia Fire Department. The three month old who it was later discovered was the child of the driver Magnolia Officers originally pulled out of the vehicle. The baby was flown by Life Flight helicopter to Houston Hermann Hospital where he is now listed as stable condition. The Troopers stated that when they removed the baby there was no sign of visible trauma but just the jolting of the car flipping at that sped was enough to be concerned.
Harris County Sheriff’s units arrived on the scene and talked with the suspect and photographed him but do not believe he was the actor they were looking for. He was still being detained by Magnolia Police for possible charges.
FM 1488 was closed for almost five hours with traffic being diverted onto the newly constructed lanes with the help of Precinct 5 Constables and wreckers.
Troopers would also like to speak with a golfer who was golfing at the time on about the thirteenth hole of the Lake Windcrest Golf Course at the time of the crash. The man assisted the Troopers and gave them a jacket or sweater. DPS asks if that golfer would please contact the DPS Conroe Office.
