Jessie Berry Obituary, Death – Police in Odessa say a man suspected of breaking into a local business died early Wednesday morning after fleeing from officers and crashing his car a short distance away. The incident began at about 12:57 a.m., when an Odessa police officer driving north along Grandview Avenue noticed something unusual outside a business near North Grandview. Sensing suspicious activity, the officer turned around to investigate. Before he could approach the business, a passerby flagged him down and reported that someone had just broken a window and entered the property.
When the officer pulled into the parking lot, he spotted a man walking quickly toward a white Chevrolet Corvette. The officer attempted to stop him, but the suspect evaded contact, jumped into the Corvette, and sped away eastbound on 11th Street. Rather than giving immediate chase, the officer remained at the scene to check on the store clerk and ensure no one inside the business was injured.
Moments later, the officer heard the sound of a crash coming from the direction where the suspect had fled. Additional units began searching the area, and they soon located the Corvette. Investigators determined that the driver had lost control of the vehicle, veered off the road, and slammed into two parked pickup trucks. Fortunately, both trucks were unoccupied at the time of the collision.
The driver, identified as 46-year-old Jessie Berry, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported as a result of the crash. Odessa police confirmed that Berry was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
Authorities have not released details about what was taken, if anything, from the business where the suspected break-in occurred. The investigation into both the burglary and the subsequent fatal crash is ongoing, with detectives reviewing evidence from the scene and interviewing witnesses.
Police emphasized that the sequence of events unfolded rapidly — from the time the officer noticed suspicious behavior, to being alerted by a citizen about the break-in, to the suspect fleeing in the Corvette, and finally to the crash that claimed Berry’s life.
Officials also noted the risks involved when suspects attempt to flee law enforcement, especially at high speeds. They stressed that such actions endanger not only the fleeing driver but also other motorists, pedestrians, and bystanders in the area. In this case, the outcome was deadly for the suspect, but authorities pointed out that the situation could have been far worse had other people been in the path of the crash.
At this stage, the Odessa Police Department continues to investigate all aspects of the case, including the suspected burglary, the events leading up to the chase, and the circumstances of the crash itself. They have not said whether additional surveillance footage or witness statements will provide more insight into what exactly happened in the moments before Berry’s death.
The case remains active as detectives piece together the timeline, but for now, authorities have confirmed that a suspected burglary attempt ended in tragedy when the fleeing driver lost control and crashed fatally.
