East Texas

By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer

HENDERSON — The victims attempted to get help at the Kilgore Police Department early Thursday, but when no one answered the door in the early morning hours, the victims continued toward Henderson.

They would not make it. Instead, they would be forced off the roadway by the two women police say chased the victims and then caused them to crash. All six occupants were taken to hospitals, and officials said Thursday that several are in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.

The entire incident, police say, was the result of a fight between the suspects and the victims over an ex-boyfriend.

Jessica DeShae Medford, 22, and Brittonie Annett Taylor, 18, both of Longview, stood in Rusk County Precinct 5 Justice of the Peace Bob Richardson’s courtroom Thursday and listened to the charges against them during an arraignment hearing.

Both are charged with six counts of aggravated assault with a weapon and one count of felony failure to stop and render aid.

Their bonds total $225,000 each.

Rusk County Sheriff deputies continue their investigation of the “intentional act” where the suspect’s vehicle repeatedly rammed the victim’s vehicle on U.S. Highway 259 in Rusk County, eight miles north of Henderson.

“An altercation between two females took place in Longview and a vehicle chase ensued between the parties. The chase (one vehicle chasing the other) came from Longview through Kilgore toward Henderson until, according to the victims, the suspect vehicle rammed the other vehicle causing it to crash,” Rusk County District Attorney Investigator William Brown said.

Brown said Medford and Taylor then fled the scene and were apprehended by Rusk County deputies a short time later on Texas Highway 323 south of Loop 571 in Henderson.

The deputy stated in the report they noticed the car had front-end damage. Neither Medford or Taylor were injured in the incident.

According to the probable cause affidavit in the case, a victim told authorities her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend was chasing them.

“The driver stated that her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend (Medford) was chasing her from Kilgore and started ramming her car, causing her to lose control and hitting a tree on the side of 259,” the report states.

Brown said he was told the victims attempted to get help in Kilgore, but no one answered the door at the police station.

“The victims tried to get help at the Kilgore PD, but because of how that building is set up and only one dispatcher being in the building at that time of the morning, no one knew they were there. It was no fault of the Kilgore Police Department,” he said.

At the scene of the accident, orange fluorescent paint marked the roadway where the car came to rest. The tree was also painted.

Brown said the Texas Department of Public Safety’s reconstruction team assisted in the investigation by mapping the scene, and authorities also used an airplane to survey the scene from the air.

Officials said more details could be released Friday, including the names of the injured.

Updated Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 5:41 p.m. CDT

Jessica DeShae Medford (left) and Brittonie Annett Taylor stand before the Justice of the Peace in Rusk County Court today.
(Staff photo by Kenneth Dean)