by | Published
In the early hours of September 26, 2023, officers from the New Braunfels Police Department responded to a report of trespassers on a construction site in the 500 block of Porter Street. What initially seemed like a routine call quickly escalated into a high-speed chase and subsequent arrest.
Officers, while investigating the trespassing incident, spotted a Mercedes passenger car that had been spray-painted white leaving the area. The situation took a dangerous turn when the vehicle ran a red light at the intersection of Business 35 and Seguin Avenue. A traffic stop was initiated, but the driver chose to evade law enforcement, accelerating to a high rate of speed and crossing a grassy median onto the main lanes of Southbound I-35.
A pursuit ensued, with officers receiving assistance from the Live Oak Police Department. Eventually, law enforcement successfully deployed tire spikes on the fleeing Mercedes, puncturing one of its tires. Despite the damage, the vehicle continued to flee until it approached a curve at the Loop 410 interchange. At this point, a tire came loose, leading to a collision with a cargo van traveling in the same direction. The crash brought the high-speed chase to an abrupt end.
The male driver of the Mercedes, identified as 31-year-old Jamie Tyler Moorhead from McQueeney, fled the scene of the crash on foot, leaving behind an adult female passenger in the vehicle. Authorities launched a search operation, employing K-9 units and drone operators, leading to Moorhead's apprehension.
During a subsequent search of the Mercedes, law enforcement discovered a small quantity of heroin and methamphetamine. Moorhead was transported to a San Antonio-area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, later cleared medically, and subsequently booked at the Comal County Jail.
Moorhead faces several charges, including:
Both the driver of the cargo van, a 58-year-old male from San Antonio, and the passenger of the suspect vehicle, a 25-year-old female from Kingsbury, sustained minor, non-life-threatening injuries during the collision. They were transported to a San Antonio-area hospital for medical treatment.
The incident remains under investigation, and authorities have not ruled out the possibility of additional charges being filed against Moorhead.
