Houston social media lit up over hit and run, but what should a witness actually do?

Houstonian turns to Reddit for help solving hit-and-run

Click through the slideshow to see other instances where Houston residents exposed bad behavior. James Poore of Houston witnessed a hit-and-run on I-10 on Dec. 17, 2016. He turned to Reddit for help in finding the driver who fled the scene. The social media site responded with outrage at the fleeing driver and offers of assistance. less Houstonian turns to Reddit for help solving hit-and-run

James Poore of Houston witnessed a hit-and-run on I-10 on Dec. 17, 2016. He turned to Reddit for help in finding the driver who fled the scene. The social ... more Photo: Reddit Photo: Reddit Image 1 of / 26 Caption Close Houston social media lit up over hit and run, but what should a witness actually do? 1 / 26 Back to Gallery

James Poore saw the SUV cut across traffic and try to squeeze into a tight spot. It couldn't.

“He must have been doing about 100 when he first came up,” Poore said.

The result was a wreck on I-10 that sent a car spinning. Poore, who was trailing the wreck by about 50 feet, called 911 and followed the SUV driver as he sped off.

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“It was a quick decision," said Poore. "Somebody ought to follow him and not let him get away with it.”

Poore also posted about the accident on Reddit in an effort to find the SUV driver involved in the Dec. 17 wreck. The social media site lit up, with at least 63 people commenting about the wreck and the effort to find the driver.

But, should Poore have followed the SUV? It's not something Houston Police recommend.

When it comes to witnessing a hit-and-run, police say the first thing a witness should do is call 911, then stop and render aid to a pedestrian or the vehicle involved that's still at the scene.

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And, police say, if someone hits another vehicle, they should immediately stop and stay at the scene. Leaving can result in a felony charge.

Poore avoided the spinning car and chased the Chevy Tahoe while talking to 911. After giving operators the vehicle's license plate number, Poore said, he was cut off.

Poore said no officer ever arrived to stop the errant SUV driver and eventually the chase ended at a convenience store when he lost track of the truck.

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Poore went back to the scene of the wreck, but it had been cleared. The woman who was hit by the Chevy Tahoe driver tracked Poore down through social media and is doing fine.

"Now hopefully the driver of the Tahoe can be brought to justice," Poore said Wednesday.