Victims In Bizarre Police Chase In Texas Are Identified

The driver was 69 year old Richard Purpura and the passenger was identified Monday morning as 99 year old Anne Purpura, both of Blanco, Texas.

On July 3 at approximately 11:30 a.m., Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Troopers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a gray Honda passenger car traveling northbound on U.S. 281 in Blanco County.

DPS spokesperson Sgt. Robbie Barrera said that according to the preliminary investigation, the Honda entered the Trooper's lane of traffic as the DPS patrol unit was traveling in the opposite direction on the same roadway.

It was then when the Trooper's emergency vehicle equipment was activated and the driver of the car refused to stop, continuing to travel northbound.

At approximately 11:32 a.m., the evading vehicle struck two other vehicles that were traveling in the opposite direction. As a result of the crash, both the driver and passenger of the evading vehicle were pronounced deceased at the scene.

The driver of one of the other vehicles was transported to Seton Hospital Austin with non-life threating injures, and the other driver was treated and released at the scene.