An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Summer Banks and Scott Banks were estranged. They are divorced. NBC 5 regrets the error.
The former wife of a man accused of leading Mesquite police on a high-speed chase late Wednesday night says the pursuit would not have happened if Garland police had acted on a sexual assault complaint earlier this week.
Scott Banks is hospitalized and facing charges in the three-mile pursuit, which ended on Interstate 635 when he lost control of his vehicle and flipped several times after ramming into three other cars, Mesquite police said.
His former wife, Summer Banks, said the chase began after he confronted her while she was leaving a friend's house and begged her not to press charges against him.
"I told him, 'You need to leave; you need to leave,' and he refused," she said.
Her friend called police, and he fled in his vehicle when the responding officer pulled up, Summer Banks said.
She said she went to Garland police headquarters on Christmas Eve to report that her former husband had sexually assaulted her but did not get help fast enough.
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NBC 5 generally does not identify the victims of sexual assault, but Summer Banks said she wanted to come forward because Wednesday's chase and crash could have been avoided.
"They did not ensure my safety," she said. "This could have been prevented. It should have been prevented."
Summer Banks said she wanted to file a report and get a warrant.
"It's just outrageous," she said. "How can a PD be closed? A hospital doesn't close."
She said an officer showed up an hour after she called police from outside the building. A warrant was never filed.
Garland police spokesman Officer Joe Harn said the holiday did not affect their response.
"We work 24 hours a day, and a police officer made that report," he said. "It was not the front desk officer; however, an officer came to the front desk and made that report, so this case has been worked as any case is going to be."
Harn also said that "when somebody comes in, we don't just take the complaint and go get a warrant. The case has to be investigated, and so that's what's going on now."
The Wednesday night chase started near Grubb Drive and Belt Line Road and ended on Interstate 635 near Gross Road.
Mesquite police said Scott Banks did not stop for police because he thought he had a warrant out for his arrest.
Police said Banks led officers onto southbound I-635, where he crashed into three other cars and flipped several times.
Mesquite police said the other three drivers were not injured.
Banks sustained a broken arm and was taken to Baylor Medical Center for treatment. Police said he is expected to recover and face charges of evading arrest with a vehicle and not having insurance.
"This is not someone I can have around my kids, who I need to have in my life," Summer Banks said. "This is someone who needs to go to prison."
Garland police said they are investigating the sexual assault report and are getting information from Scott Banks.
NBC 5's Kendra Lyn and Ray Villeda contributed to this report.
