A San Antonio man lead a Cumby policeman on a vehicle pursuit on Interstate 30, after failing to fully pay the wrecker service that pulled his vehicle out of the mud, according to arrest reports.
Cumby Police Officer Nicholas Geer responded at 11:59 p.m. Jan. 3 on the south Interstate 30 service road near mile marker 112, where a motorist reported his vehicle was grazed and run off the road by another vehicle. When contacted, however, the driver reportedly admitted to being pushed off the road but not struck by another vehicle and asked for a wrecker to respond.
When asked for a driver’s license the 33-year-old San Antonio man reportedly gave a number that came back to an ID card issued to Gilbert Collier. He was issued a citation for not having a driver’s license. The wrecker pulled Collier’s Hyundai sedan out of the mud and they began working out payment for the $150 wrecker fee. He paid $74 and went back to his vehicle, Geer reported.
Worried Collier would leave without paying the remaining balance, Geer said he asked the San Antonio man to step out of the car. Instead, Geer reported that Collier refused, so he reached for the key to shut off the ignition. Collier then allegedly grabbed Geer’s hand and put the car in drive and sped off while holding the officer’s arm. Geer reportedly received only a minor scratch on his hand.
Geer initiated a vehicle pursuit of Collier’s car using his patrol vehicle along the south service road. He continued east to the I-30 entrance ramp. The vehicle’s tires were spiked by Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Aaron Chaney around the 120 mile marker. Collier continued east on I-30 for about a mile before stopping.
Geer and HCSO Sgt. Scott Davis and Deputy Bobby Osornio approached the car. When Collier refused officers’ orders to get out, they removed him from the car and put him face down on the ground in hand restraints, the Cumby officer alleged in arrest reports. Collier was put in a patrol vehicle while officers inventoried the vehicle, finding a black bag with a lighter, pipe and liquid substance, which were seized, prior to the car being impounded by the wrecker service.
Gilbert Ray Collier was booked into Hopkins County jail at 2:49 a.m. Jan. 4 on a felony evading arrest in a vehicle charge and theft of service for the portion of the wrecker fee left unpaid when he left, according to arrest reports. Gilbert remained in Hopkins County jail Monday evening. Bond was set at $10,000 on the evading arrest charge and $5,000 on the theft of service charge, according to jail reports.
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The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
