October 16, 2004 7:46 AM

Another DUMB@$$ AWARD wiener

18-wheeler chase ends in Fort Bend County; US 59 backed up

Man who led police on chase is charged: Driver of an 18-wheeler causes several accidents

DUMB@$$ AWARD wiener #159: Hector Diaz Barazza

Well, ya see…wha’ happened was….

It was just another quiet Friday afternoon on the Southwest Freeway in Houston…or at least it was until Mr. Barraza, the driver of a semi-trailer decided to go Mad Max on his fellow drivers. Somehow, I see a date with a defensive driving class in Barraza’s future….

Houston police captured the driver of an 18-wheel truck in Fort Bend County after a 20-minute-plus high-speed chase that started around 2 p.m. in the 6500 block of Bellaire Boulevard.

The chase began after the truck was involved in a non-injury accident in the city, Houston police Sgt, C.J. Klausner told KTRH radio. The trucker jumped in the rig and drove off when police arrived to talk to him.

The driver reportedly hit several vehicles, including one patrol car.

At one point, between First Colony and University exits on southbound 59, the massive truck pushed a stopped box truck out of the way, causing cars ahead of it to crumple atop each other like an accordian.

By the end of the chase, at least 16 law enforcement cars were in pursuit of the truck, which was smoking from under the hood and from the wheels..

The driver ran over at least one set of road spikes and continued despite flattened tires.

Police and deputies finally were able to stop the 18-wheeler and grab the driver on southbound U.S. Highway 59 at Crabb River Road in Fort Bend County.

Thankfully, it appears that no one was hurt, though if you want to checkout the slideshow or the video, you’ll wonder as I did how everyone escaped alive.

Most of us who have driven in Houston traffic have fantasized about flipping out and taking out anyone and everyone impeding our progress. If you’re going to go Mad Max, what better way to do it than behind the wheel of a Peterbilt?

Of course, as Mr. Barazza found out, using a Peterbilt to play “bumper cars” on a busy freeway is a good way to draw all sorts of the wrong kind of attention. I don’t know that anyone knows what caused our latest DUMB@$$ to flip out in the way that he did, but we should all be grateful that no one was killed or seriously injured.

Something tells me that it’s going to be awhile before Mr. Barazza finds himself behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler again….

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on October 16, 2004 7:46 AM.

The answer to the question, "So, why DO guys like beach volleyball so much??" (Exhibit E) was the previous entry in this blog.

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