January 17, 2002

This vehicle was traveling southbound on 34th Street next to K-Mart when it went off the road and struck a utility pole. Upon impact the vehicle landed in the Sundance Apartment parking lot. The driver sustained a left broken arm and other minor injuries.
The Jaws of Life had to be used to extricate the driver.

The following ran in the Texas City Sun

Man may be charged after accident
By Micheal Smith
Texas City Sun

A man from Lousisiana came to Texas to make money for his children. His latest attempt involved killing himself so they could collect insurance.
Texas City Police Officer Mendenhall responded to the call at the front parking lot of the Sundance Apartment complex behind K-mart at 12:25 a.m. on Thursday.
He found that the Louisiana native had rammed his vehicle into a telephone pole.
Witnesses said the man was traveling between 50 and 60 mph southbound on the road before veering off and slamming into the pole. It was reported the man never hit his brakes.
When EMS and firefighters began to remove the man he yelled at them to leave him alone and let him die.
Mendenhall said that the man appeared very distraught over his children, still in Louisiana, who he was not able to see because of the mother's custody.
The man said he did not accomplish killing himself, and the pain he had suffered from the mother was more than the pain from his injuries. He then said his kids would be rich if he successfully killed himself.
Mendenhall had to ride along to UTMB and restrain the man as he became violent with paramedics inside the ambulance.
The man refused to give out his phone number or place of employment.
The telephone pole was not damaged, but the man may be charged.

Extricating the driver