By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

A suspect and innocent driver are dead following a police chase on Interstate 65 on Saturday night, Jan. 11 in Shelby County.

The two-vehicle accident occurred around 8:26 p.m. and was the result of a driver attempting to elude law enforcement.

That driver was identified as 21-year-old Elias Ismael Trejo Andino of Homewood, who was not using a seat belt and ultimately was ejected from his Chevrolet Camaro and pronounced deceased on the scene.

Tyrek Howard, 22, of Helena was also killed in the accident as an innocent driver when his Nissan left the roadway and struck several trees, ejecting him from the vehicle. He was also not wearing a seatbelt.

Jazmine A. Davis of Montevallo was a passenger in Howard’s vehicle at the time of the accident. She was taken to UAB Hospital with critical injuries.

Andino rammed into Howard’s Nissan Altima. Andino’s Camaro flipped and he was ejected from the vehicle.

The accident occured on I-65 northbound at mile marker 243, near the Cahaba Valley Road exit.

The wreck was part of a situation that involved two separate pursuits in the area on Saturday night with the other ending in the Calera area following a chase from Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies and state troopers.

According to a post from the Calera Police Department’s Facebook page, the suspect was initially pursued by the Alabaster Police Department before he entered the Calera area.

The driver’s vehicle left the roadway near George Roy Parkway and Nottingham Drive, ending in a resident’s backyard before the suspect fled on foot.

He was caught approximately a half mile from the crash scene. The suspect refused medical treatment before being turned over to Alabaster Police Department.

“When a suspect chooses to flee the police they choose to place themselves, the community and law enforcement in danger,” Calera Police Chief David Hyche said. “This was not our pursuit last night but we in Shelby County will always be there to help our neighboring agencies.”

No further information, including the identity of the apprehended suspect, is available at this time. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, ALEA and Alabaster police are currently handling the investigation.