Wednesday, April 30, 1997
Woman rides on hood of fleeing car
By JERRY DANIEL REED Senior Staff Writer
She may have been on the ride of her life, but an Abilene mother
knew when it was time to get off Tuesday afternoon.
The woman, 41, had jumped on the hood of her son's car, apparently
to discourage him from fleeing an arrest. Constable Phil Burkett
had come to serve a warrant on a bad check charge when Larry Don
Cox allegedly bolted for his car and locked the doors. And then
- even after his mother hopped on the hood - the son, 20, jammed
his older-model Mustang into gear and sped from the 1300 block
of Crockett to the Winters Freeway, one block west, Burkett said.
"He motioned for her to get off, and I motioned for her
to get off, and she wouldn't," he said.
With Burkett giving chase, Cox, 21, fled north, then took the
Interstate 20 exit east in north Abilene before turning onto Pine
Street. When he reached the Pine-Treadaway Y intersection, his
mother decided enough was enough, letting go and falling to the
pavement.
Although "pretty badly banged up," Burkett said the
woman refused an ambulance ride to the hospital. She did indicate
she might go to an emergency room later, he said. The constable
said he didn't know if any of the woman's bones were broken, though
she suffered bumps and scrapes.
During her ride, Burkett said, "she was holding onto the
hood and the wipers and anything that she could." He estimated
Cox drove 60 to 70 mph on the freeway and the interstate.
The veteran constable said he had taken part in a few chases
in his career, but none with anyone riding the hood.
After his mother got off, Cox continued to run, bailing out
at Abilene Christian University, Burkett said. He ran into a university
building, but then changed his mind and surrendered, Burkett said.
The man's mother said her son claimed to have a girlfriend on
the campus.
Cox was booked into Taylor County Jail on four charges with
bonds totaling $22,200: $20,000 for aggravated assault, $1,500
for evading arrest, $500 for resisting arrest, and $200 for issuance
of a bad check.
The assault charge stems from endangering his mother's life
by fleeing at high speeds with her precariously hanging onto the
hood.
Had he gone with the constable at first without protest, he
could have posted a small bond to stay out of jail, Burkett said.
Or he could have "laid out" a fine on the check charge
in three or four days, he said.
Send a Letter to the Editor about This
Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address) of This Story
to A Friend:
Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
|
