Suspected lottery ticket thief causes major wreck in getaway

Aug 4, 2015, 8:24 am

A suspect is in a Houston-area hospital after fleeing the scene of a daring robbery in Conroe and causing a serious traffic accident as he was attempting to make his getaway.

Cody Byrd, 23, of Navasota, Texas, is suspected of stealing a large bin of Texas Lottery tickets from a Chevron convenience store in the Conroe area on Saturday afternoon.

Byrd fled the scene in his vehicle at a high rate of speed only to collide with a family of four on SH-105 westbound. He attempted to flee on foot, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter, only to be detained by witnesses at the scene.

The family of four in the vehicle Byrd hit included Brent Sullivan, 46, and Mary Greer, 54, both of Navasota. Two children, aged 5 and 7, were in the vehicle as well. Those four were taken to Conroe Regional Hospital where they were later released.

Meanwhile Byrd was transported to a Houston-area hospital with a possible neck injuries. The accident lead to SH-105 to be closed until 9 p.m. Saturday as officials investigated the crash site. 

According to the Montgomery County Police Reporter on Saturday, Byrd would have had a difficult time cashing in on any probably winnings as the serial numbers on lottery tickets are canceled and flagged after they are reported stolen.

According to store staff, Byrd didn't display a weapon in the robbery.

The suspect could be seen on video for almost 10 minutes, parked on the side of the building. He walked in, well dressed and without a word or displaying a weapon, reached across the counter and scooped up a bin of lottery tickets. From there he just walked out the door with them.

Byrd has a lengthy record including:

An arrest in 2008 by Magnolia Police for felony possession of a controlled substance,

• Possession of marijuana in 2009 by Houston Police,
• Fleeing from Bryan Police in 2010,
• Resisting arrest by Navasota Police in July 2012,
• Evading arrest by Grimes County DPS in February 2013,
• Driving while license invalid by College Station Police in October of 2014, and,
• Driving while license invalid by Bryan Police in November 2014.