A getaway car is supposed to help you flee the scene of the crime. It probably shouldn’t catch fire while you’re inside it.
That is essentially what happened in Montgomery County, Texas, where deputies say a theft suspect led them on a chase before crashing into another vehicle, hitting a bank sign and ending up inside a burning car.
According to reporting from FOX 26 Houston and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a reported theft at a Walmart in Porter, Texas, on Sunday.
They spotted a 53-year-old Michael BeBawi fleeing the store with loss-prevention personnel following him before he got into a vehicle and took off.
The Getaway Didn’t Go According To Plan
According to the sheriff’s office, BeBawi refused to stop for deputies and drove north on I-69 at a high rate of speed. Things started falling apart when he approached an intersection on FM 1485.
Authorities say BeBawi lost control while attempting to turn eastbound; he then crossed a median, hit two signs, and crashed into another vehicle. The vehicle didn’t stop there; it continued across before striking a Chase Bank sign, causing the vehicle to catch fire.
Deputies Had To Get Creative
With the vehicle burning, deputies immediately tried to get BeBawi out. There was just one major issue: the driver’s side door was damaged and wouldn’t open.
One deputy climbed through the passenger side and managed to unlock the driver’s door from inside. That allowed other deputies to pull BeBawi from the vehicle and move him safely away from the fire.
According to authorities, the fire got worse, and the vehicle began exploding, forcing deputies to move BeBawi further away. Firefighters and EMS eventually arrived at the scene.
The Burning Car Wasn’t the Only Issue
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, BeBawi has a history of arrests for theft-related offenses and resisting arrest. He is currently being held in the Montgomery County Jail.
BeBawi has been charged with evading in a vehicle and theft. The investigation of the crash is ongoing.
A Not So Clean Getaway
There are plenty of ways for a police chase to end, but having deputies pull you out of your own burning vehicle is a very dramatic ending. The body-camera footage from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office showed the deputies coming up with the plan to rescue BeBawi from the damaged vehicle before it could explode.
BeBawi remains accused of theft and evading in a vehicle while authorities investigate the crash. This should serve as a lesson to anyone thinking they can cleanly get away from the cops because you can’t.