Dashcam video shows Fort Worth police pursuit of drunk driver through West 7th entertainment district
FORT WORTH - Fort Worth police say a suspected drunk driver led officers on a chase through the popular West 7th Entertainment District Saturday night, seriously injuring multiple people.
Andrew Guerra, 29 years old, is now in the Tarrant County Jail on a $95,000 bond, charged with evading arrest/detention with vehicle causing serious bodily injury, intoxication assault with vehicle causing seriously bodily injury, and unlawful restraint.
Police released dashcam video showing the moments leading up to the pursuit, the chase itself, and when it ended in a crash.
In the video, the suspect's truck pulls out of a parking lot with no headlights at 1000 Foch Street and attempts to go the wrong way down Morton Street, which is one-way.
The truck then backs up, nearly hitting the marked police car, and goes up onto the curb.
According to police, officers could hear the passenger inside telling the driver to stop. They then turned on their overhead lights to initiate a stop, but the driver took off.
"We've got one failure to yield," said an officer in the dash cam video. "He's almost hit us… He's driving the wrong way on a one-way. He's refusing to get out of the car, and now he's taking off the wrong way"
Police follow the truck as it picks up speed and turns eastbound on West 7th. You can see the truck weaving around traffic and almost hit a car at a stoplight.
"He just struck a curb," said the officer. "He almost struck a Tesla."
The driver of that Tesla was Graham Brizendine. He and his wife were heading home after grabbing dessert together.
"Just a flash to my left, the Chevy Silverado just had to have been doing 50-60 mph at that point," Brizendine said. "As soon as he passed us, the officer was in pursuit a few car lengths behind him, same speed, lights on."
Afterward, they kept driving, thinking the danger had passed, but the truck went through the Bank of Texas parking lot, essentially making a U-turn, and then got back on West 7th in the other direction.
"After almost getting hit on West 7th, and then now he's coming back our direction, it was almost like a double potential impact, which was super shocking to experience," Brizendine said. "There's no escape for us at that point, all we can do is just hope and pray he wasn't going to come the wrong direction on the West 7th bridge."
The suspect continued a little over a mile on West 7th before the pursuit ended with a crash at the University intersection. The truck struck a pole, a stopped car, two pedestrians, and another traffic light before coming to a complete stop.
"I was literally a few feet from getting smooshed by a vehicle doing 60 mph," said Brizendine. "It was just shock. We're lucky… I feel really horrible for the people who did get hurt and injured in this situation."
According to police, the two pedestrians who were hit were taken to area hospitals with serious injuries.
Guerra was also taken to the hospital for his injuries before he was transferred to the jail.
Police say the passenger in Guerra's truck has been cooperative with this investigation and is the victim of the unlawful restraint charge.