Motorcyclist fleeing from local officers dies in crash

Stacy Hardy, 20, whom police identified as a Fort Hood soldier, died after his motorcycle slammed into a minivan as he attempted to elude officers who tried to stop him for speeding, authorities said.

Hardy died just before 7:20 a.m. Saturday at Scott & White Hospital in Temple after the crash, which occurred late Friday night.

Officers attempted to stop Hardy for speeding at around 10 p.m. Friday in the area of Elms Road and fort Hood Street, but Hardy sped off at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour headed north on W.S. Young Drive, police spokeswoman Carroll Smith said.

The pursuit continued for about 10 minutes, during which Hardy led officers back to Elms Road and headed east at a high rate of speed, Smith said.

Heavy traffic forced the officers to slow down, but they could see the motorcycle weaving between stopped vehicles, she said.

As Hardy entered the Fort Hood Street intersection, the motorcycle struck a Dodge Caravan whose driver was turning south onto Fort Hood Street and he was thrown about 100 feet east of the intersection.

Hardy was taken first to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center and then was flown to Scott & White.

The driver and one of the two passengers in the Caravan were also injured and were taken to Darnall with non-life-threatening injuries, Smith said.

Hardy, a private first class from Beaverton, Ore., joined the Army in January 2015 and had been assigned since June 2016 to the 1st Cavalry Division’s 3rd Cavalry Regiment.