On Thursday, July 2 at approximately 1:48 AM, Baytown Police Officer R. Parker saved the life of a motorist after the vehicle he was driving flipped upside down and became engulfed in flames.
Officer Parker was traveling east on IH10, returning from the Harris County Sheriff’s Department when he observed a tan Pontiac van pass him at over 100 miles per hour, weaving throughout lanes of traffic. Officer Parker turned his emergency lights and siren on to alert the driver to slow down. The van sped away from the officer and was last seen east on IH10 near the Mercury exit. A pursuit was not initiated for safety reasons.
At the intersection of IH10 and Sheffield, Officer Parker observed the same van in the median between the feeder road and Interstate, upside down, and engulfed in flames. Officer Parker was able to break the driver side window and free the driver from the vehicle. The driver, identified as Quiroz, Adan Contreras DOB 08-15-79, was unharmed. Officer Parker sustained an injured ankle in the course of this life-saving incident.
QUIROZ was charged with evading arrest and transported to the Baytown jail where his bond is pending.