Previous convictions leave man in jail
Department of Public Safety deputies were finally able to arrest Randall Hank Root, 23, of Como for driving without a license, but not without first giving chase, according to reports.
At approximately 11:28 a.m. on Tuesday, DPS Deputy Bradshaw observed a black Ford F250 pickup truck traveling on Highway 11 with its driver and sole occupant, Root, not secured by a seatbelt, reports read.
However, when Bradshaw conducted a U-turn to initiate a traffic stop, the report read, Root “turned on to 69 North and traveled at a high rate of speed.”
Bradshaw pursued Root, who then “turned onto Jeffries Street [in Como] where he then again traveled at a high rate of speed to a residence.”
At that point, reports stated, Root did not attempt to take shelter at the residence. Instead, the report read, the vehicle “left the roadway into a front yard and struck a house.”
Root, the driver of the vehicle, then “bailed out of the truck and attempted to hide behind the residence.”
DPS then arrested Root, who, according to the report, was an unlicensed driver.
“It was clear that Root’s license had been suspended multiple times for multiple convictions,” the report read.
According to HCSO records, Root’s previous convictions date back to 2014 and include four instances of driving without a license, two instances of riding without a seatbelt and one instance of burglary of a habitation, among others.
He is now charged with driving without a license with previous convictions and fleeing a police officer, on bonds totaling $2,000. He remained in jail as of press time Wednesday.