CHASE CRASH

Rebecca Lopez reports

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Drama and danger unfolded Monday afternoon during a high-speed chase that ended when an unsuspecting driver slammed into the suspect's vehicle.

Shane Michel, 29, was behind the wheel of the silver Nissan that was involved in a pursuit that began in Mesquite at around 1 p.m. The suspect — who has a warrant — took off after officers tried to pull him over in Mesquite. The chase wound through Interstates 30 and 45.

The Nissan knocked down a highway sign, crashed through a railroad crossing gate and sped over medians before it collided with Lance Anderson's truck at Plano and Buckingham roads in Garland. The chase reached speeds of 100 mph.

Constables said the chase didn't put other drivers in jeopardy, and said it followed department policy. However, some believe that policy should be changed.

"They should not have chased him for two hours, risking everybody's lives like they did," Anderson said.

Dallas County constables said they needed to catch Michel because he was speeding. They said they didn't learn he was wanted for a felony forgery warrant until the chase was well under way.

While they also said no other drivers were at risk, video from a helicopter-based camera painted a different picture.

Spike strips were thrown down during the chase to puncture the tires of Michel's sedan, but they didn't slow him down. They did, however, bring a few other motorists to a halt.

The Dallas Police Department did not participate in the chase because the department's policy only allows officers to pursue suspects wanted for violent crimes. While that is city policy, the county constables are elected, so they set their own policies and can choose to chase anyone.

"We do have the authority to uphold the law as well, and for your guys' safety as well," said Sgt. V.T. Griffin, Dallas County Constable Department. "We don't want to put anyone in danger in these situations."

While commissioners control the constable's budgets, they can't control chases.

It's still unclear over who will end up paying for the damage to Anderson and other motorists who unexpectedly became part of the drama.

E-mail rlopez@wfaa.com