30 MILE CAR CHASE SPANS LEE AND MILAM COUNTIES

  

A man with outstanding warrants led police on a 30-mile car chase Monday morning that stretched from Lee County to Milam County.

Around 1 a.m. Monday, Lexington Police Officer, Scott Mattingly, watched a blue Chrysler Town & Country pull up to the gas pumps at the Cefco convenience store in Lexington. The driver was acting suspiciously, so Mattingly ran the Chrysler’s plates through his in-car computer. The car was registered to Devenzaiyah Lauze, who had active arrest warrants out of Hays County for criminal stimulation.

Officer Mattingly followed the vehicle as it left the store and went northbound on Highway 77. The Chrysler slowed and pulled to the shoulder of the highway, before taking off suddenly at a high speed. Officer Mattingly pursued the vehicle as it sped up, reaching speeds over 110 mph. Lee county Dispatch was notified and contacted Milam County to advise them of the pursuit.

Between County Roads 313 and 314 Lauze allegedly threw something out of his vehicle’s window. Deputy David Jessup responded to the location and recovered 14 grams of methamphetamine.

Spike strips were deployed by Milam County police, however they had no effect on Lauze’s vehicle. A short distance later, Lauze’s vehicle crashed through a fence after he tried to make a turn at high speed. The vehicle rolled and crashed into a tree just outside of Cameron near State Highway 36 and State Highway 77.

Lauze was searched by police and no weapon was found. He did sustain injuries to his jaw, legs, and chest. He was transported to Baylor, Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple where he was treated for his injuries and then cleared by doctors.

Lauze was taken to the Lee County Jail and booked for possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, evading arrest with a vehicle, as well as his two outstanding misdemeanors warrants from Hays County.