LA PORTE – On March 20, 2026, at approximately 12:20 a.m., deputies with the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling northbound on State Highway 146 near State Highway 96 due to a non-functioning brake light.

The vehicle failed to yield, prompting a pursuit northbound on State Highway 146, with speeds exceeding 100 mph. The pursuit continued to the McCabe Road exit in La Porte.

The vehicle ultimately entered a business parking lot in the 1900 block of State Highway 146, where the driver exited the vehicle while it was still in motion. Upon exiting, the driver produced a handgun and discharged it, shooting himself in the head.

The driver has been identified as Roger Turner, 47, from La Porte. Turner was transported via Life Flight to Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center, where he is listed in critical condition with life-threatening injuries and is not expected to survive.

The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Crime Scene Unit are actively investigating this incident as a suicide.

Further investigation revealed Turner had an active warrant through the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Penalty Group 1 (>4g <200g). A search of Turner’s vehicle also resulted in the discovery of additional narcotics, specifically methamphetamine.

This investigation remains active. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.