Two Uber passengers dead after suspected street racer 'cut the car in two'
Incident occurred on Saturday night during police pursuit
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Your support makes all the difference.Two female Uber passengers in Houston have died, after a driver leading a pursuit with police crashed into their ride-share vehicle over the weekend.
On Saturday, Brian Tatum, who is suspected of being involved in a street race, crashed into the Uber while driving at speeds of more than 100mph, according to The Daily Mail.
The 51-year-old has subsequently been arrested on two felony murder charges following the crash on Saturday, according to a statement from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
The authorities said that deputies attempted to pull Mr Tatum over at around 11:30pm on Saturday, as he ran several red lights while racing another vehicle in the area of Jensen Drive in the city.
The other vehicle stopped for the police, but Mr Tatum reportedly sped off at “excessive speeds,” while deputies followed behind, the department’s statement read.
The deputies pursued Mr Tatum for around a mile, before he crashed into the Uber, causing significant damage to the ride-share vehicle.
Sean Teare, head of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office Vehicular Crimes Division, told the Houston Chronicle that Mr Tatum “basically cut the car in two.”
The two women riding in the back of the Uber were ejected from the vehicle at impact, and were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Both the Uber driver and Mr Tatum survived the crash and were treated for injuries at Ben Taub Hospital, but the latter has already been discharged and transferred to the county jail.
The department confirmed that in a search of Mr Tatum’s vehicle, officials found open containers of alcohol and drugs, including marijuana.
The authorities revealed that Mr Tatum has extensive criminal records in Texas and California that span more than 20 years.
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