A 34-year-old Porter man was arrested Tuesday afternoon, June 28, after reportedly leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase from Tarkington to Moss Hill.
Around 5:30 p.m., a Liberty County sheriff’s deputy stopped to check on the welfare of a man who was sitting in a parked vehicle on CR 2285, according to Liberty County Sheriff’s Capt. Billy Knox, a spokesperson for the agency.
“He was checking on him because he was parked in the middle of the roadway with a flat tire. When the deputy approached, the driver fled,” Knox said.
The deputy gave chase and followed the man as he drove down CR 2282 and back onto SH 163, then onto SH 105 east toward Moss Hill.
“He was reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour during the chase. He was all over the road. Cars were having to move over onto the shoulder to avoid being hit,” Knox said.
Less than a quarter-mile from the SH 105 and SH 146 intersection in Moss Hill, the car the man was driving was no longer operational. The car began to smoke. The driver of the vehicle, identified as John Christopher Tidwell, 34, of Porter, was taken into custody without incident.
According to Knox, Tidwell had a blue warrant out of Hardin County for a parole violation. The vehicle he was driving was reportedly stolen out of Harris County. A firearm was recovered from inside the vehicle.
For now, Tidwell is charged with Evading Arrest or Detention With a Vehicle; however, other charges could be added for the stolen vehicle and the firearm.
Bond information for Tidwell is not available at this time. Tidwell’s criminal history shows previous arrests and convictions for drug possession, burglary of a vehicle, failing to identify to law enforcement, unauthorized use of a vehicle and tampering with evidence.
