Collin Fall 2025

Assault suspect flees, dies in crash

by | Oct 18, 2018 | Latest

A police pursuit that started in Wylie ended in a fatal crash at Farmersville last week when a 15-year-old suspect in an aggravated assault slammed into a flatbed truck.

The deceased is Austin Schell, a student at Achieve Academy in Wylie.

At about 2:50 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10 Wylie police responded to a disturbance call at an apartment complex in the 100 block of S. Fifth Street where a woman reportedly was in the parking lot bleeding, Sgt. Donald English recounted.

Witnesses told officers that the woman’s son might have been involved in the incident and that he drove away in her vehicle, a Mazda sport utility vehicle. Officers spotted the vehicle as they approached the scene and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver sped away northbound on Hwy. 78, the police sergeant reported.

Wylie police requested assistance from neighboring police departments and Farmersville police were able to deploy stop sticks as the pursuit entered their jurisdiction.

After encountering the stop sticks, the vehicle traveled another two miles, drove into incoming traffic and struck a flatbed truck loaded with portable toilets, wedging the SUV under the bed of the truck, English reported.

The driver, identified as Schell, was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no other injuries.

English said that a preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect had struck his mother several times in the head with a baseball bat, causing severe injuries. The victim was taken to a hospital in Plano where she remains in the intensive care unit.

Wylie Police have asked Texas Rangers to conduct an independent investigation into the aggravated assault/fatality crash because of the WPD involvement in the incident.

 

For more stories like this, see the Oct. 18 issue or subscribe online.

 

By Joe Reavis • [email protected]

NTMWD 2025

0 Comments

Public Notice - Subscribe

Related News

No left turns at PSA

No left turns at PSA

The Murphy Police Department is starting an education and enforcement effort to prevent accidents where the PSA parking lot exits to N. Murphy Road. Police Chief Jeff Gibson said southbound motorists sometimes attempt to turn left into the exit drive or motorists...

read more
Brown House exhibits showcase entertainment

Brown House exhibits showcase entertainment

In a gallery at the Brown House in Wylie, one of the latest exhibits, “Our Fascination with Period Dramas,” explores the enduring popularity of historical fiction. The Brown House in downtown Wylie is inviting guests to take a nostalgic look at the past through two...

read more
Governor signs school voucher bill

Governor signs school voucher bill

Gov. Greg Abbott displays Senate Bill 2, signed May 3, creating educational savings accounts – a school voucher system – in Texas. Courtesy Governor's Office Effective with the 2026-27 school year, Texas families will be able to apply for a trust fund account from...

read more
Murphy councilmembers outpoll challengers

Murphy councilmembers outpoll challengers

Four members of the Murphy City Council have apparently been re-elected, according to final unofficial returns from the Saturday, May 3, general election. Results are not official until canvassed by council. With results complete from all voting centers, Collin County...

read more
Bands booked for June concert series

Bands booked for June concert series

Emerald City Band will be performing June 6. Emerald City Band is the first of four bands scheduled for free Friday night concerts in June. The Dallas-based band will take the amphitheater stage in Murphy Central Park on June 6. The Murphy Parks and Recreation...

read more
Public Notice - Subscribe